We have developed and successfully tested a prototype of a new type of high position resolution hybrid X-ray detector. It contains a thin wall lead glass capillaryplate converter of X-rays combined with a microgap parallel-plate avalanche chamber filled with gas at 1 atm. The operation of these converters was studied in a wide range of X-ray energies (from 6 to 60 keV) at incident angles varying from 0-90 degree. The detection efficiency, depending on the geometry, photon energy, incident angle and the mode of operation, was between 5-30 percent in a single step mode and up to 50 percent in a multi-layered combination. Depending on the capillary geometry, the position resolution achieved was between 0.050-0.250 mm in digital form and was practically independent of the photon energy or gas mixture. The usual lead glass capillaryplates operated without noticeable charging up effects at counting rates of 50 Hz/mm2, and hydrogen treated capillaries up to 10E5 Hz/mm2. The developed detector may open new possibil...

Capillary force makes a liquid droplet's surface have the minimum area. If the droplet is sandwiched between two plates, it exerts capillary force on the plates. The magnitude of the force depends on the shape of the sandwiched droplet, which is in turn determined by the shape of the plates and the volume of the liquid. The liquid's shape, however, is hard to determine analytically. In this paper, the torque caused by a droplet sandwiched between two noncircular plates is experimentally and theoretically analyzed. We patterned a magnetic material on the surface of the plates and used it to apply a magnetic force to the plates. The torque on the plates was measured. The torque caused by capillary force was calculated by observing the equilibrium between the capillary force and magnetic force. We obtained approximate theoretical solutions for the liquid's shape and torque and verified that they were in accordance with the experimental results. The experimental and theoretical results presented in this paper are useful for designing microdevices or self-assemblies actuated by capillary force.

A hydrophilic or a hydrophobic long rigid solid plate of finite width, forming a meniscus with a liquid in a uniform gravitational field is considered. The one-dimensional meniscus with prescribed heights of the triple point from the far-field liquid surface is investigated analytically using the Young Laplace equation. It is found that for a hydrophilic plate, the vertical force necessary to break the meniscus during removal of the plate from the liquid is larger than the force necessary to break the meniscus during submersion of the plate into the liquid. Furthermore, the capillary force on the plate reaches a maximum before the meniscus collapses during removal, but no maximum exists before collapse during submersion. The reverse is true when the plate is hydrophobic. The study is then extended to investigate the interaction force between two plates, each forming a meniscus with the liquid. The elevations of the plates from the far-field liquid surface are prescribed, in contrast to earlier studies where interaction between long cylinders floating under self weight was considered. Here, the menisci are determined exactly using the Young Laplace equation. It is shown that for prescribed plate elevations, there can be at most two possible pairs of menisci between them. Each pair bifurcates from a meniscus that is determined by the elevations of the plates and the gap between them. Furthermore, as known for solids floating under self-weight, the horizontal component of the interaction force is attractive for similar menisci (e.g. when the two plates are equally displaced in or out of the liquid), and repulsive when they form opposite menisci. It is shown that if the two menisci are of the same type, but not similar (e.g. one plate is pushed more into the liquid than the other), then the force is attractive at long distances, and may be repulsive at shorter distances with a stable equilibrium at a finite distance between the plates, depending on the elevations of

A novel thermal neutron collimator was successfully fabricated by coating the inner surface of the capillaryplate (CP) with gadolinium oxide using atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology.This CP-based collimator is efficient and compact.A numerical model is presented in the paper to estimate the main performance characteristics of the collimator and to optimize the design for specific applications.According to the results of the calculation based on currently available CPs,the FWHM of the collimator's rocking curve can be smaller than 0.15° while suppressing more than 99.9％ of the incident thermal neutrons on the double wings of the curve.Such a coated CP is as thin as 1.25 mm or even thinner,providing high angular resolution with good transmission in a very limited space.

Microchannel plates (MCPs) have been used for many years in space flight instrumentation as fast, lightweight electron multipliers. A new MCP fabrication method combines a glass substrate composed of hollow glass capillary arrays with thin film coatings to provide the resistive and secondary electron emissive properties. Using this technique, the gain, resistance, and glass properties may be chosen independently. Large-area MCPs are available at moderate cost. Secondary emission films of Al2O3 and MgO provide sustained high gain as charge is extracted from the MCP. Long lifetimes are possible, and a total extracted charge of 7 C/cm2 has been demonstrated. Background rates are low because the glass substrate has little radioactive potassium 40. Curved MCPs are easily fabricated with this technique to suit instrument symmetries, simplifying secondary electron steering and smoothing azimuthal efficiency.

A quantitative theory of plate number N in capillary electrophoresis was developed for buffers containing neutral cyclodextrins (CDs) capable of forming inclusion complexes. In the theory, N was modeled by longitudinal diffusion, injection extent, width of the detection window, and the detector time constant. The apparent mobility was modeled as a weighted sum of the mobilities of the free-solution analyte and the inclusion complex. The apparent diffusion coefficient was modeled as a similarly weighted sum. Both the apparent mobility and diffusion coefficient were corrected by functions that compensated for increases of buffer temperature caused by Joule heat. The experimental N's and apparent mobilities of neutral thiourea and of the anions, dansyl D- and L-leucine, dansyl D- and L-aspartic acid, benzoate, and 4-nitrophenolate, were determined in buffers containing from 0 to 15 mM beta-CD. The binding constants, and mobilities and diffusion coefficients of the free-solution analyte and inclusion complex, were calculated as regression coefficients by fitting theory to these determinations. The regression coefficients were shown to have physicochemical meaning, as assessed by literature values, independent measurements, and theoretical predictions. The assessment showed the Nernst-Einstein equation does not relate mobilities and diffusion coefficients at the electrolyte concentration used. The interdependence of mobilities, diffusion coefficients, binding constants, and other dispersion sources was interpreted to evaluate the factors affecting the variation of N with CD concentration. From the interpretation, an approximate equation for N in low-concentration CD buffers was derived. The equation depends on free-solution and inclusion-complex mobilities and diffusion coefficients, the binding constant, the potential difference over the effective capillary length, and the number of plates in a CD-free buffer.

The stable operation of MicroStrip Gas Chamber (MSGC) was successfully performed using glass capillaryplate as an intermediate gas multiplier. Detection area of 95 mm sup 2 was available and fine position resolution of 90 mu m using digital readout was attained. A charge-up problem of capillaryplate under intense radiation source was perfectly removed by surface conductivity inside of capillaries. The quantitative measurements using MSGC is now available in X-ray imaging. This paper also presents novel applications of X-ray diffraction studies and their preliminary results using an MSGC. Rapid measurements for X-ray crystallography of the order of a few tens of seconds were attained successfully.

Zernike phase contrast x-ray microscope has been developed at the undulator beamline 20XU and 47XU of SPring-8. The system consists of a pseudo-Koehler-illuminating system, a Fresnel zone plate objective with outermost zone width of 100 nm, a Zernike phase plate (0.96-{mu}m-thick tantalum, {lambda}/4 or 3{lambda}/4 phase-shifter at 8 keV) installed at the back-focal plane of the objective, and a visible-light conversion type cooled CCD camera as an image detector. A sectored (polygon) condenser plate is employed as the condenser in order to secure a large and flat field of view. Details and experimental results of the system will be shown.

Subduction beneath the northernmost Andes in Colombia is complex. Based on seismicity distributions, multiple segments of slab appear to be subducting, and arc volcanism ceases north of 5° N. Here, we illuminate the subduction system through hypocentral relocations and Vp and Vs models resulting from the joint inversion of local body wave arrivals, surface wave dispersion measurements, and gravity data. The simultaneous use of multiple data types takes advantage of the differing sensitivities of each data type, resulting in velocity models that have improved resolution at both shallower and deeper depths than would result from traditional travel time tomography alone. The relocated earthquake dataset and velocity model clearly indicate a tear in the Nazca slab at 5° N, corresponding to a 250-km shift in slab seismicity and the termination of arc volcanism. North of this tear, the slab is flat, and it comprises slabs of two sources: the Nazca and Caribbean plates. The Bucaramanga nest, a small region of among the most intense intermediate-depth seismicity globally, is associated with the boundary between these two plates and possibly with a zone of melting or elevated water content, based on reduced Vp and increased Vp/Vs. We also use relocated seismicity to identify two new faults in the South American plate, one related to plate convergence and one highlighted by induced seismicity.

A new method was developed to decrease the mass limit of detection (LOD) and increase the number of theoretical plates (N) in capillary electrophoresis with amperometric detection. When the single microcylinder electrode, the 10 μm ID capillary with the etched detection end and the in-capillary alignment were used, the mass LOD for phenol was reduced 124 times and N was increased 36 times in comparison with the normal situation.

An overall two-dimensional numerical model of the miniature flat platecapillary pumped loop (CPL) evaporator is developed to describe the liquid and vapor flow, heat transfer and phase change in the porous wick structure,liquid flow and heat transfer in the compensation cavity and heat transfer in the vapor grooves and metallic wall.The entire evaporator is solved with SIMPLE algorithm as a conjugate problem. The effect of heat conduction of metallic side wall on the performance of miniature flat plate CPL evaporator is analyzed, and side wall effect heat transfer limit is introduced to estimate the performance of evaporator. The shape and location of vapor-liquid interface inside the wick are calculated and the influences of applied heat flux, liquid subcooling, wick material and metallic wall material on the evaporator performance are investigated in detail. The numerical results obtained are useful for the miniature flat plate evaporator performance optimization and design of CPL.

Full Text Available The problem of thermoelasticity, based on the theory of Lord and Shulman (L-S with one relaxation time, is used to solve a one dimensional boundary value problem of a thick plate. The upper surface of the medium is taken as traction free and heated by a pulsed laser beam. The lower surface of the medium rests on a rigid and thermally isolated. The general solution is obtained in the Laplace transform domain. Approximate small time analytical solutions to temperature, stress and displacement are obtained. Results of this problem are presented graphically.

We investigate the critical behavior of a near-critical fluid confined between two parallel plates in contact with a reservoir by calculating the order parameter profile and the Casimir amplitudes (for the force density and for the grand potential). Our results are applicable to one-component fluids and binary mixtures. We assume that the walls absorb one of the fluid components selectively for binary mixtures. We propose a renormalized local functional theory accounting for the fluctuation effects. Analysis is performed in the plane of the temperature T and the order parameter in the reservoir ψ(∞). Our theory is universal if the physical quantities are scaled appropriately. If the component favored by the walls is slightly poor in the reservoir, there appears a line of first-order phase transition of capillary condensation outside the bulk coexistence curve. The excess adsorption changes discontinuously between condensed and noncondensed states at the transition. With increasing T, the transition line ends at a capillary critical point T=T(c) (ca) slightly lower than the bulk critical temperature T(c) for the upper critical solution temperature. The Casimir amplitudes are larger than their critical point values by 10-100 times at off-critical compositions near the capillary condensation line.

Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) with edge-lit backlight systems offer several advantages, such as low energy consuming, low weight, and high uniformity of intensity, over traditional cathode-ray tube displays, and make them ideal for many applications including monitors in notebook personal computers, screens for TV, and many portable information terminals, such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants, etc. To satisfy market requirements for mobile and personal display panels, it is more and more necessary to modify the backlight system and make it thinner, lighter, and brighter all at once. In this paper, we have proposed a new integrated LGP based on periodic and aperiodic microprism structures by using polymethyl methacrylate material, which can be designed to control the illumination angle, and to get high uniformity of intensity. So the backlight system will be simplified to use only light sources and one LGP without using other optical sheets, such as reflection sheet, diffusion sheet and prism sheets. By using optimizing program and ray tracing method, the designed LGPs can achieve a uniformity of intensity better than 86%, and get a peak illumination angle from +400 to -200, without requiring other optical sheets. We have designed a backlight system with only one LED light source and one LGP, and other LGP design examples with different sizes (1.8 inches and 14.1 inches) and different light source (LED or CCFL), are performed also.

A vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectrometer of a five-channel spectral system is designed for ITER main plasma impurity measurement. To develop and verify the system design, a two-channel prototype system is fabricated with No. 3 (14.4-31.8 nm) and No. 4 (29.0-60.0 nm) among the five channels. The optical system consists of a collimating mirror to collect the light from source to slit, two holographic diffraction gratings with toroidal geometry, and two different electronic detectors. For the test of the prototype system, a hollow cathode lamp is used as a light source. To find the appropriate detector for ITER VUV system, two kinds of detectors of the back-illuminated charge-coupled device and the microchannel plate electron multiplier are tested, and their performance has been investigated.

Although numerous studies have attempted to find single unifying mechanisms for generating Madagascar's unique flora and fauna, little consensus has been reached regarding the relative importance of climatic, geologic and ecological processes as catalysts of diversification of the region's unique biota. Rather, recent work has shown that both biological and physical drivers of diversification are best analysed in a case-by-case setting with attention focused on the ecological and life-history requirements of the specific phylogenetic lineage under investigation. Here, we utilize a comprehensive analytical approach to examine evolutionary drivers and elucidate the biogeographic history of Malagasy plated lizards (Zonosaurinae). Data from three genes are combined with fossil information to construct time-calibrated species trees for zonosaurines and their African relatives, which are used to test alternative diversification hypotheses. Methods are utilized for explicitly incorporating phylogenetic uncertainty into downstream analyses. Species distribution models are created for 14 of 19 currently recognized species, which are then used to estimate spatial patterns of species richness and endemicity. Spatially explicit analyses are employed to correlate patterns of diversity with both topographic heterogeneity and climatic stability through geologic time. We then use inferred geographic ranges to estimate the biogeographic history of zonosaurines within each of Madagascar's major biomes. Results suggest constant Neogene and Quaternary speciation with divergence from the African most recent common ancestor ~30 million years ago when oceanic currents and African rivers facilitated dispersal. Spatial patterns of diversity appear concentrated along coastal regions of northern and southern Madagascar. We find no relationship between either topographic heterogeneity or climatic stability and patterns of diversity. Ancestral state reconstructions suggest that western dry

Thin films of water under nanoscopic confinement are prevalent in natural and manufactured materials. To investigate the equilibrium and dynamic behavior of water in such environments, we perform molecular dynamics simulations of water confined between atomistically detailed hydrophobic plates at T = 298 K for pressures (-0.1) ≤ P ≤ 1.0 GPa and plate separations of 0.40 ≤ d ≤ 0.80 nm. From these simulations, we construct an expanded P-d phase diagram for confined water, and identify and characterize a previously unreported confined monolayer ice morphology. We also study the decompression-induced sublimation of bilayer ice in a d = 0.6 nm slit, employing principal component analysis to synthesize low-dimensional embeddings of the drying trajectories and develop insight into the sublimation mechanism. Drying is observed to proceed by the nucleation of a bridging vapor cavity at one corner of the crystalline slab, followed by expansion of the cavity along two edges of the plates, and the subsequent recession of the remaining promontory of bilayer crystal into the bulk fluid. Our findings have implications for the understanding of diverse phenomena in materials science, nanofluidics, and protein folding and aggregation.

’s level of English is sufficient for the increasing number of courses offered in English each semester. This paper addresses these concerns and describes a pilot project initiated in 2003 at CBS to gauge the overall English language proficiency of those teaching content courses in English. Through......Copenhagen Business School (CBS) finds itself needing to address the issue of English-medium instruction for its increasing number of foreign exchange and full degree students. With internationalisation as a main pillar of the institution’s agenda, there are concerns whether the teaching faculty...... the Project in Language Assessment for Teaching in English (PLATE) language professionals from CBS’s Language Center observe teachers and provide feedback using evaluation criteria from the Common European Framework for Reference (CEFR) supplemented by some additional criteria which take the LSP nature...

Copenhagen Business School (CBS) finds itself needing to address the issue of English-medium instruction for its increasing number of foreign exchange and full degree students. With internationalisation as a main pillar of the institution’s agenda, there are concerns whether the teaching faculty......’s level of English is sufficient for the increasing number of courses offered in English each semester. This paper addresses these concerns and describes a pilot project initiated in 2003 at CBS to gauge the overall English language proficiency of those teaching content courses in English. Through...... the Project in Language Assessment for Teaching in English (PLATE) language professionals from CBS’s Language Center observe teachers and provide feedback using evaluation criteria from the Common European Framework for Reference (CEFR) supplemented by some additional criteria which take the LSP nature...

We investigate phase separation of near-critical binary mixtures between parallel symmetric walls in the strong adsorption regime. We take into account the renormalization effect due to the critical fluctuations using the recent local functional theory [Okamoto and Onuki, J. Chem. Phys.0021-960610.1063/1.3693331 136, 114704 (2012)]. In statics, a van der Waals loop is obtained in the relation between the average order parameter in the film and the chemical potential when the temperature T is lower than the film critical temperature Tcca (in the case of an upper critical solution temperature). In dynamics, we lower T below the capillary condensation line from above Tcca. We calculate the subsequent time development assuming no mass exchange between the film and the reservoir. In the early stage, the order parameter ψ changes only in the direction perpendicular to the walls. For sufficiently deep quenching, such one-dimensional profiles become unstable with respect to the fluctuations varying in the lateral directions. The late-stage coarsening is then accelerated by the hydrodynamic interaction. A pancake domain of the phase disfavored by the walls finally appears in the middle of the film.

A hand portable, field-deployable thin-layer chromatography (TLC) unit and a hand portable, battery-operated unit for development, illumination, and data acquisition of the TLC plates contain many miniaturized features that permit a large number of samples to be processed efficiently. The TLC unit includes a solvent tank, a holder for TLC plates, and a variety of tool chambers for storing TLC plates, solvent, and pipettes. After processing in the TLC unit, a TLC plate is positioned in a collapsible illumination box, where the box and a CCD camera are optically aligned for optimal pixel resolution of the CCD images of the TLC plate. The TLC system includes an improved development chamber for chemical development of TLC plates that prevents solvent overflow.

... several times a day using capillary blood sampling. Disadvantages to capillary blood sampling include: Only a limited ... do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2017, A.D.A.M., Inc. Duplication ...

A test procedure was developed to assess the capillary flow wettability of solders inside of a confined geometry. The test geometry was comprised of two parallel plates with a controlled gap of constant thickness (0.008 cm, 0.018 cm, 0.025 cm, and 0.038 cm). Capillary flow was assessed by: (1) the meniscus or capillary rise of the solder within the gap, (2) the extent of void formation in the gap, and (3) the time-dependence of the risen solder film. Tests were performed with the lead-free solders.

Soils are the most heterogeneous parts of the biosphere, with an extremely high differentiation of properties and processes at all spatial and temporal scales. Importance of the hotspheres such as rhizosphere, detritusphere, porosphere (including drilosphere and biopores), hyphasphere and spermosphere, calls for spatially explicit methods to illuminate distribution of microbial activities in these hotspheres (Kuzyakov and Blagodatskaya, 2015). Zymography technique has previously been adapted to visualize the spatial dynamics of enzyme activities in rhizosphere (Spohn and Kuzyakov, 2014). Here, we further developed soil zymography to obtain a higher resolution of enzyme activities by enabling direct contact of substrate-saturated membranes with soil. For the first time, we aimed at quantitative imaging of enzyme activities in various hotspheres. We calculated and compared percentage of enzymatic hotspots of five hotspheres: spermosphere, rhizosphere, detritusphere, drilosphere and biopores. Spatial distribution of activities of two enzymes: β-glucosidase and leucine amino peptidase were analyzed in the spermosphere, rhizosphere and detritusphere of maize and lentil. Zymography has been done 3 days (spermosphere), 14 days (rhizosphere) after sowing and 21 days after cutting plant (detritusphere). Spatial resolution of fluorescent images was improved by direct application fluorogenically labelled substrates on the soil surface. Such improvement enabled to visualize enzyme distribution of mycorrhiza hypha on the rhizobox surface. Further, to visualize the 2D distribution of the enzyme activities in porosphere, we placed earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris), (drilosphere) and ground beetle species Platynus dorsalis Pont. (Coleoptera; Carabidae), (biopore), in transparent boxes for 2weeks. The developed in situ zymography visualized the heterogeneity of enzyme activities along and across the roots. Spatial patterns of enzyme activities as a function of distance along the

Full Text Available The fate of hypertrophic chondrocytes during endochondral ossification remains controversial. It has long been thought that the calcified cartilage is invaded by blood vessels and that new bone is deposited on the surface of the eroded cartilage by newly arrived cells. The present study was designed to determine whether hypertrophic chondrocytes were destined to die or could survive to participate in new bone formation. In a rabbit experiment, a membrane filter with a pore size of 1 µm was inserted in the middle of the hypertrophic zone of the distal growth plate of ulna. In 33 of 37 animals, vascular invasion was successfully interposed by the membrane filter. During 8 days, the cartilage growth plate was enlarged, making the thickness 3-fold greater than that of the nonoperated control side. Histological examination demonstrated that the hypertrophic zone was exclusively elongated. At the terminal end of the growth plate, hypertrophic chondrocytes extruded from their territorial matrix into the open cavity on the surface of the membrane filter. The progenies of hypertrophic chondrocytes (PHCs were PCNA positive and caspase-3 negative. In situ hybridization studies demonstrated that PHCs did not express cartilage matrix proteins anymore but expressed bone matrix proteins. Immunohistochemical studies also demonstrated that the new matrix produced by PHCs contained type I collagen, osteonectin, and osteocalcin. Based on these results, we concluded that hypertrophic chondrocytes switched into bone-forming cells after vascular invasion was interposed in the normal growth plate.

Multicapillary electrophoresis continues to see improvements in speed, robustness, and reliability. This paper reports on our work on two components belonging to a multicapillary sequencer developed in our group. Injection of the DNA samples into the capillaries was optimized to make it reproducible and to reduce the amount of sample volume required. An alternative laser illumination of the capillaries was also developed. Light intensity in the capillaries was increased as a result of a step-by-step scanning of the laser and the use of microlenses in front of the capillaries.

The capillary thinning of filaments of a Newtonian polybutene fluid and a viscoelastic polyisobutylene solution are analyzed experimentally and by means of numerical simulation. The experimental procedure is as follows. Initially, a liquid sample is placed between two cylindrical plates. Then, th...... and quantified. (C) 1999 The Society of Rheology. [S0148-6055(99)00103-0]....

Transmission of a few keV impact energy Ne ions through capillaries in anodic alumina membranes has been studied with different ion counting methods using an energy dispersive electrostatic spectrometer, a multichannel plate (MCP) array and sensitive current-measurement. In the present work, we...

International audience; The hairs of a wet dog rushing out from a pond assemble into bundles; this is a common example of the effect of capillary forces on flexible structures. From a practical point of the deformation and adhesion of compliant structures induced by interfacial forces may lead to disastrous effects in mechanical microsystems.

Source: EP2426402A The invention relates to a fibre illumination module and system for the collection and delivery of daylight for illumination purposes. The fibre illumination module comprises a plurality of collector elements, each collector element comprising an input fibre having a first end......-directional arrangement. The fibre illumination system comprises a fibre illumination module of the above-mentioned type. By the invention, daylight may be exploited for the illumination of remote interior spaces of buildings in order to save energy, and improve the well-being of users in both housing and working...

The development and demonstration of a table-top transmission soft X-ray (SXR) microscope, using a laboratory incoherent capillary discharge source has been carried out. This Z-pinching capillary discharge water-window SXR source, is a first of its kind to be used for high spatial resolution microscopy at λ = 2.88 nm (430 eV) . A grazing incidence ellipsoidal condenser mirror is used for focusing of the SXR radiation at the sample plane. The Fresnel zone plate objective lens is used for imaging of the sample onto a back-illuminated (BI) CCD camera. The achieved half-pitch spatial resolution of the microscope approaches 100 nm, as demonstrated by the knife-edge test. Details about the source, and the construction of the microscope are presented and discussed. Additionally, the SXR images of various samples, proving applicability of such microscope for observation of objects in the nanoscale, are shown.

Full Text Available Illumination analysis of spacecraft is very important. This paper firstly introduces the importance of spacecraft illumination analysis in aerospace fields and points out that illumination conditions will influence the design of shape of spacecraft body and the installation of spacecraft equipments. Then, it discusses two methods for analyzing spacecraft solar-panel shadow and illumination conditions: ray tracing illumination algorithm and polyhedral mesh contour edge projection algorithm and compares their efficiency and feasibility. Shadow area and solar area are computed of every cell on solar panels. We designed solar panel single-axis rotation experiment to validate the proposed algorithm. The experimental results show that contour edge projection algorithm has fine accuracy and costs less time. For detailed illumination information, we apply a practical segment clipping algorithm after some comparisons.

of a gold reflecting layer on a compact disc which has been illuminated by an unfocused laser beam with a wavelength 400nm, from a femtosecond laser with a beam size of 4mm. A quartz capillary with a 2-µm aperture has been used in the experiments. The period of gold microstructure, shown to be 1.6µ...... distribution of the recorded photoelectrons consisted of periodic mountain-valley strips, resembling the surface profile of the sample. Submicron spatial resolution has been achieved. This approach paves the way to study pulsed photodesorption of large organic molecular ions with high spatial and element...

A metal or glass wire is etched with great precision into a very narrowly tapering cone which has the shape of the desired final capillary-optics bore. By controlling the rate of removal of the wire from an etchant bath, a carefully controlled taper is produced. A sensor measures the diameter of the wire as it leaves the surface of the etchant. This signal is used for feedback control of the withdrawal speed. The etched wire undergoes a treatment to produce an extremely low surface-roughness. The etched and smoothed wire is coated with the material of choice for optimizing the reflectivity of the radiation being focused. This could be a vacuum evaporation, sputtering, CVD or aqueous chemical process. The coated wire is either electroplated, built up with electroless plating, or encapsulated in a polymer cylinder such as epoxy to increase the diameter of the wire for easier handling and greater robustness. During this process, the wire is vertically oriented and tensioned to assure that the wire is absolutely straight. The coated and electroformed wire is bonded to a flat, rigid substrate and is then periodically segmented by cutting or etching a series of narrow slits or grooves into the wire. The wire is vertically oriented and tensioned during the bonding process to assure that it is straight. The original wire material is then chemically etched away through the slits or otherwise withdrawn to leave the hollow internal bore of the final tapered-capillary optical element.

According to Koffka (1935), the lightness of a target surface is determined by the relationship between the target and the illumination frame of reference to which it belongs. However, each scene contains numerous illumination frames, and judging each one separately would lead to an enormous amount of computing. Grouping those frames that are in…

This catalog lists the slides of medieval manuscript illuminations available at the Midwestern Medieval Illuminations Archives at the Purdue University Audio-Visual Center. Instructions are provided for ordering slides from the Center. Slide sets are listed by title, with citations including catalog number, rental price, producer/vendor code,…

Mobile Health (mHealth) analytical technologies are potentially useful for carrying out modern medical diagnostics in resource-poor settings. Effective mHealth devices for underserved populations need to be simple, low cost, and portable. Although cell phone cameras have been used for biodetection, their sensitivity is a limiting factor because currently it is too low to be effective for many mHealth applications, which depend on detection of weak fluorescent signals. To improve the sensitivity of portable phones, a capillary tube array was developed to amplify fluorescence signals using their waveguide properties. An array configured with 36 capillary tubes was demonstrated to have a ~100X increase in sensitivity, lowering the limit of detection (LOD) of mobile phones from 1000 nM to 10 nM for fluorescein. To confirm that the amplification was due to waveguide behavior, we coated the external surfaces of the capillaries with silver. The silver coating interfered with the waveguide behavior and diminished the fluorescence signal, thereby proving that the waveguide behavior was the main mechanism for enhancing optical sensitivity. The optical configuration described here is novel in several ways. First, the use of capillaries waveguide properties to improve detection of weak florescence signal is new. Second we describe here a three dimensional illumination system, while conventional angular laser waveguide illumination is spot (or line), which is functionally one-dimensional illumination, can illuminate only a single capillary or a single column (when a line generator is used) of capillaries and thus inherently limits the multiplexing capability of detection. The planar illumination demonstrated in this work enables illumination of a two dimensional capillary array (e.g. x columns and y rows of capillaries). In addition, the waveguide light propagation via the capillary wall provides a third dimension for illumination along the axis of the capillaries. Such an

Our approach involves on-axis illumination of the compounds inside the capillary detection region and is applied to absorbance and fluorescence detection. Absorbance measurements were made by focussing an incident laser beam into one capillary end; by using signals collected over the entire length of analyte band, this enhances the analytical path length of conventional absorbance detection 60x. This instrument offers a 15x improvement in detection limits. Three fluorescence detection experiments are discussed, all of which involve insertion of an optical fiber into capillary. The first uses a high refractive index liquid phase to obtain total internal reflectance along capillary axis, this reducing light scatter. The second uses a charge-coupled device camera for simultaneous imaging of a capillary array (this may be useful in genome sequencing, etc.). The third is a study of fluid motion inside the capillary under pressure-driven and electroosmotic flow. The thesis is divided into four parts. Figs, tabs.

A capillary microresonator platform for refractometric sensing is demonstrated by coating the interior of thick-walled silica capillaries with a sub-wavelength layer of high refractive index, dye-doped polymer. No intermediate processing, such as etching or tapering, of the capillary is required. Side illumination and detection of the polymer layer reveals a fluorescence spectrum that is periodically modulated by whispering gallery mode resonances within the layer. Using a Fourier technique to calculate the spectral resonance shifts, the fabricated capillary resonators exhibited refractometric sensitivities up to approximately 30 nm/RIU upon flowing aqueous glucose through them. These sensors could be readily integrated with existing biological and chemical separation platforms such as capillary electrophoresis and gas chromatography where such thick walled capillaries are routinely used with polymer coatings. A review of the modelling required to calculate whispering gallery eigenmodes of such inverted cylindrical resonators is also presented.

Source: EP2426402A The invention relates to a fibre illumination module and system for the collection and delivery of daylight for illumination purposes. The fibre illumination module comprises a plurality of collector elements, each collector element comprising an input fibre having a first end...... the proximal end of the collection optics into the first end of the input fibre, each collector element having a principal axis for the collection of light defining an optical axis of the collector element. The optical axes of the collector elements are arranged in a radially outward pointing multi...

During disease, the flow of blood cells through the capillary network is one of the most perilous events in the microcirculation. Capillary distensibility, cytoplasmic activity of endothelial cells, red cells and leukocytes play an important role in capillary perfusion. Occlusion of capillaries is one of the early signs of vascular failure and is encountered in many different conditions and organs. Adhesion of leukocytes to the endothelium via expression of membrane adhesion molecules leads to microvascular entrapment with capillary occlusion.

This paper derives a model of diffuse and specular illumination in arbitrarily large dimensions, based on a few characteristics of material and light in three-space. It then describes how to adjust for the anomaly of excess brightness in large codimensions. If a surface is grooved or furry, it can be illuminated with a hybrid model that incorporates both the one dimensional geometry (the grooves or fur) and the two dimensional geometry (the surface).

Coating the interior surface of a fused-silica capillary with a polymeric material has long been used in capillary electrophoresis (CE) to reduce or eliminate electroosmotic flow and suppress adsorption. A cycloaliphatic epoxide-based resin was bonded to silane treated capillaries and crosslinked with a curing agent. The epoxy resin coating significantly reduced electroosmotic flow over a pH range of 3-10. This coating was sufficiently hydrophilic to suppress protein adsorption. The epoxy resin coated capillary was used to separate several acidic and basic proteins and peptides. Separation efficiencies greater than 400,000 theoretical plates were achieved. The relative standard deviations in migration times for proteins were methods.

We describe a global approach to the problem of capillary origami that captures all unfolded equilibrium configurations in the two-dimensional setting where the drop is not required to fully wet the flexible plate. We provide bifurcation diagrams showing the level of encapsulation of each equilibrium configuration as a function of the volume of liquid that it contains, as well as plots representing the energy of each equilibrium branch. These diagrams indicate at what volume level the liquid drop ceases to be attached to the endpoints of the plate, which depends on the value of the contact angle. As in the case of pinned contact points, three different parameter regimes are identified, one of which predicts instantaneous encapsulation for small initial volumes of liquid. - Highlights: • Full solution set of the two-dimensional capillary origami problem. • Fluid does not necessarily wet the entire plate. • Global energy approach provides exact differential equations satisfied by minimizers. • Bifurcation diagrams highlight three different regimes. • Conditions for spontaneous encapsulation are identified.

In recent years, green energy has undergone a lot of development and has been the subject of many applications. Many research studies have focused on illumination with sunlight as a means of saving energy and creating healthy lighting. Natural light illumination systems have collecting, transmitting, and lighting elements. Today, most daylight collectors use dynamic concentrators; these include Sun tracking systems. However, this design is too expensive to be cost effective. To create a low-cost collector that can be easily installed on a large building, we have designed a static concentrator, which is prismatic and cascadable, to collect sunlight for indoor illumination. The transmission component uses a large number of optical fibers. Because optical fibers are expensive, this means that most of the cost for the system will be related to transmission. In this paper, we also use a prismatic structure to design an optical coupler for coupling n to 1. With the n-to-1 coupler, the number of optical fibers necessary can be greatly reduced. Although this new natural light illumination system can effectively guide collected sunlight and send it to the basement or to other indoor places for healthy lighting, previously there has been no way to manage the collected sunlight when lighting was not desired. To solve this problem, we have designed an optical switch and a beam splitter to control and separate the transmitted light. When replacing traditional sources, the lighting should have similar characteristics, such as intensity distribution and geometric parameters, to those of traditional artificial sources. We have designed, simulated, and optimized an illumination lightpipe with a dot pattern to redistribute the collected sunlight from the natural light illumination system such that it equals the qualities of a traditional lighting system. We also provide an active lighting module that provides lighting from the natural light illumination system or LED auxiliary

the proximal end of the collection optics into the first end of the input fibre, each collector element having a principal axis for the collection of light defining an optical axis of the collector element. The optical axes of the collector elements are arranged in a radially outward pointing multi......Source: EP2426402A The invention relates to a fibre illumination module and system for the collection and delivery of daylight for illumination purposes. The fibre illumination module comprises a plurality of collector elements, each collector element comprising an input fibre having a first end...... and a second end, and a collection optics, the collection optics being configured to receive light incident on a distal end of the collection optics, to transfer at least partially the incident light to a proximal end of the collection optics, and to couple at least partially the transferred light from...

The present invention relates to an area illumination light source comprising a plurality of individual OLED panels. The individual OLED panels are configured in a physically modular fashion. Each OLED panel comprising a plurality of OLED devices. Each OLED panel comprises a first electrode and a second electrode such that the power being supplied to each individual OLED panel may be varied independently. A power supply unit capable of delivering varying levels of voltage simultaneously to the first and second electrodes of each of the individual OLED panels is also provided. The area illumination light source also comprises a mount within which the OLED panels are arrayed.

We describe a global approach to the problem of capillary origami that captures all unfolded equilibrium configurations in the two-dimensional setting where the drop is not required to fully wet the flexible plate. We provide bifurcation diagrams showing the level of encapsulation of each equilibrium configuration as a function of the volume of liquid that it contains, as well as plots representing the energy of each equilibrium branch. These diagrams indicate at what volume level the liquid drop ceases to be attached to the endpoints of the plate, which depends on the value of the contact angle. As in the case of pinned contact points, three different parameter regimes are identified, one of which predicts instantaneous encapsulation for small initial volumes of liquid.

Let f be a differentiable function on the real line, and let P\\inG_{f}^{C}= all points not on the graph of f. We say that the illumination index of P, denoted by I_{f}(P), is k if there are k distinct tangents to the graph of f which pass through P. In section 2 we prove results about the illumination index of f with f" (x)\\geq 0 on \\Re. In particular, suppose that y=L_1(x) and y=L_2(x) are distinct oblique asymptotes of f and let P=(s,t)\\in G_{f}^{C}. If max(L_1(s),L_2(s))

A novel algorithm for vehicle license plates localization is proposed. The algorithm is based on pixel intensity transition gradient analysis. Near to 2500 natural-scene gray-level vehicle images of different backgrounds and ambient illumination was tested. The best set of algorithm's parameters produces detection rate up to 0.94. Taking into account abnormal camera location during our tests and therefore geometrical distortion and troubles from trees this result could be considered as passable. Correlation between source data, such as license Plate dimensions and texture, cameras location and others, and parameters of algorithm were also defined.

The present invention relates to an illumination control system comprising a plurality of outdoor luminaries and a motorized service vehicle. Each luminaire comprises a controllable light source producing a light illuminance. The motorized service vehicle comprises a light sensor configured...... to detect the light illuminance generated by the controllable light source at the motorized service vehicle. The motorized service vehicle computes light illuminance data based on the detected light illuminance and transmits these to the outdoor luminaire through a wireless communication link or stores...... the light illuminance data on a data recording device of the motorized service vehicle. The outdoor luminaire receives may use the light illuminance data to set or adjust a light illuminance of the controllable light source....

Intramedullary capillary haemangioma is extremely rare and only four cases have been previously reported. We describe a further case, outlining the clinical, radiological, surgical and pathological features.

Solving the global illumination problem is equivalent to determining the intensity of every wavelength of light in all directions at every point in a given scene. The complexity of the problem has led researchers to use approximation methods for solving the problem on serial computers. Rather than using an approximation method, such as backward ray tracing or radiosity, the authors have chosen to solve the Rendering Equation by direct simulation of light transport from the light sources. This paper presents an algorithm that solves the Rendering Equation to any desired accuracy, and can be run in parallel on distributed memory or shared memory computer systems with excellent scaling properties. It appears superior in both speed and physical correctness to recent published methods involving bidirectional ray tracing or hybrid treatments of diffuse and specular surfaces. Like progressive radiosity methods, it dynamically refines the geometry decomposition where required, but does so without the excessive storage requirements for ray histories. The algorithm, called Photon, produces a scene which converges to the global illumination solution. This amounts to a huge task for a 1997-vintage serial computer, but using the power of a parallel supercomputer significantly reduces the time required to generate a solution. Currently, Photon can be run on most parallel environments from a shared memory multiprocessor to a parallel supercomputer, as well as on clusters of heterogeneous workstations.

Neutron image plates (NIPs) have found widespread application as neutron detectors for single-crystal and powder diffraction, small-angle scattering and tomography. After neutron exposure, the image plate can be read out by scanning with a laser. Commercially available NIPs consist of a powder mixture of BaFBr : Eu2+ and Gd2O3 dispersed in a polymer matrix and supported by a flexible polymer sheet. Since BaFBr : Eu2+ is an excellent x-ray storage phosphor, these NIPs are particularly sensitive to ggr-radiation, which is always present as a background radiation in neutron experiments. In this work we present results on NIPs consisting of KCl : Eu2+ and LiF that were fabricated into ceramic image plates in which the alkali halides act as a self-supporting matrix without the necessity for using a polymeric binder. An advantage of this type of NIP is the significantly reduced ggr-sensitivity. However, the much lower neutron absorption cross section of LiF compared with Gd2O3 demands a thicker image plate for obtaining comparable neutron absorption. The greater thickness of the NIP inevitably leads to a loss in spatial resolution of the image plate. However, this reduction in resolution can be restricted by a novel image plate concept in which a ceramic structure with square cells (referred to as a 'honeycomb') is embedded in the NIP, resulting in a pixelated image plate. In such a NIP the read-out light is confined to the particular illuminated pixel, decoupling the spatial resolution from the optical properties of the image plate material and morphology. In this work, a comparison of experimentally determined and simulated spatial resolutions of pixelated and unstructured image plates for a fixed read-out laser intensity is presented, as well as simulations of the properties of these NIPs at higher laser powers.

δ-Gluconolactone was covalently coupled to aminopropyl derivatized capillary,which created hydrophilic brushes on the inner wall of the capillary.The coated capillary was shown to generate a stable electroosmotic flow(EOF)in the investigated pH range of 2.0-9.0 and to suppress effectively the adsorption of proteins.And it enabled separation of some biopolymer mixtures including basic proteins,DNA and tryptic digested bovine serum albumin(BSA)within 15 min with efficiencies up to 450,000 plates/m.The intra-and inter-day reproducibility of the coating referring to the retention times of proteins were satisfactory with mean relative standard deviations(R.S.D.)of 0.8 and 1.7%,respectively.

The job of an array illuminator is to provide an array of optical gates or smart pixels with photon power or with synchronous clock signals. So far it has been common to take the power from one big laser and distribute it to perhaps a million gates. An obvious alternative is to assign one private small source to each gate. We favor an in-between approach: a few medium-size sources share the job of providing photons. This hybrid approach has several advantages, such as better homogeneity, less coherent noise, and a distributed risk of source failure. We propose several setups and present some experimental results. Our concept calls for an array of incoherent point sources. We simulate such an array experimentally with a single source, which is virtually expanded into a source array by grating diffraction. Ordinarily these virtual sources are mutually coherent, which is undesirable for our aims. We destroy the mutual coherence by moving the grating during the photographic recording of the output array.

We consider the image reconstruction problem for optical tomography with structured illumination. A fast image reconstruction algorithm is proposed that reduces the required number of measurements of the optical field compared to methods that utilize point-source illumination. The results are illustrated with numerical simulations.

This article describes and classifies various approaches for solving the global illumination problem. The classification aims to show the similarities between different types of algorithms. We introduce the concept of Light Manager, as a central element and mediator between illumination algorithms in a heterogeneous environment of a graphical system. We present results and analysis of the implementation of the described ideas.

An illuminated push-button switch is described. It is characterized by the fact that is consists of a switch group, an operator button opening and closing the switch group, and a light-emitting element which illuminates the face of the operator button.

[2-(Methacryloyl)oxyethyl]trimethylammonium chloride was successfully polymerized by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization method on the inner surface of fused-silica capillaries resulting in a covalently bound poly([2-(methacryloyl)oxyethyl]trimethylammonium chloride) coating. The coated capillaries provided in capillary electrophoresis an excellent run-to-run repeatability, capillary-to-capillary and day-to-day reproducibility. The capillaries worked reliably over 1 month with EOF repeatability below 0.5%. The positively charged coated capillaries were successfully applied to the capillary electrophoretic separation of three standard proteins and five β-blockers with the separation efficiencies ranging from 132,000 to 303,000 plates/m, and from 82,000 to 189,000 plates/m, respectively. In addition, challenging high- and low-density lipoprotein particles could be separated. The hydrodynamic sizes of free polymer chains in buffers used in the capillary electrophoretic experiments were measured for the characterization of the coatings.

The appearance of objects is determined by their surface reflectance and roughness and by the light field. Conversely, human observers might derive properties of the light field from the appearance of objects. The inverse problem has no unique solution, so perceptual interactions between reflectance, roughness, and lightfield are to be expected. In two separate experiments, we tested whether observers are able to match the illumination of spheres under collimated illumination only (matching of illumination direction) and under more or less diffuse illumination (matching of illumination direction and directedness of the beam). We found that observers are quite able to match collimated illumination directions of two rendered Lambertian spheres. Matching of the collimated beam directions of a Lambertian sphere and that of a real object with arbitrary reflectance and roughness properties resulted in similar results for the azimuthal angle, but in higher variance for the polar angle. Translucent objects and a tennis ball were found to be systematic outliers. If the directedness of the beam was also varied, the direction settings showed larger variance for more diffuse illumination. The directedness settings showed an overall quite large variance and, interestingly, interacted with the polar angle settings. We discuss possible photometrical mechanisms behind these effects.

Capillary forces have been measured by atomic force microscopy in the sphere-plate geometry, in a controlled humidity environment, between smooth silicon carbide and borosilicate glass spheres. The force measurements were performed as a function of the rms surface roughness similar to 4-14 nm mainly

Capillary forces have been measured by atomic force microscopy in the plate-sphere setup between gold, borosilicate glass, GeSbTe, titanium, and UV-irradiated amorphous titanium-dioxide surfaces. The force measurements were performed as a function contact time and surface roughness in the range 0.2-

We have developed a 1-D, quasi-steady-state numerical model for a gas-filled capillary discharge that is designed to aid in selecting the optimum capillary radius in order to guide a laser beam with the required intensity through the capillary. The model also includes the option for an external solenoid B-field around the capillary, which increases the depth of the parabolic density channel in the capillary, thereby allowing for propagation of smaller laser beam waists. The model has been used to select the parameters for gas-filled capillaries to be utilized during the Staged Electron Laser Acceleration — Laser Wakefield (STELLA-LW) experiment.

Face recognition under uncontrolled illumination conditions is still considered an unsolved problem. In order to correct for these illumination conditions, we propose a virtual illumination grid (VIG) approach to model the unknown illumination conditions. Furthermore, we use coupled subspace models

The considerations which formulate the specifications for a laser illuminator are explained, using the example of an underwater object. Depending on the parameters which define the scenario, widely varying laser requirements result.

Full Text Available Face Recognition (FR under various illuminations is very challenging. Normalization technique is useful for removing the dimness and shadow from the facial image which reduces the effect of illumination variations still retaining the necessary information of the face. The robust local feature extractor which is the gray-scale invariant texture called Local Binary Pattern (LBP is helpful for feature extraction. K-Nearest Neighbor classifier is utilized for the purpose of classification and to match the face images from the database. Experimental results were based on Yale-B database with three different sub categories. The proposed method has been tested to robust face recognition in various illumination conditions. Extensive experiment shows that the proposed system can achieve very encouraging performance in various illumination environments.

6639000 India Chennai 13.060 80.250 24 Population Country City Latitude Longitude 11680000 India Delhi 28.667 77.233 6833000 India Hyderabad 17.385...providing illumination levels for cities , the model now includes values for lunar illumination under clear or (partially) cloudy skies at ground level...function of population and distance (>10 km) from city center under clear and overcast conditions. A technical overview of the model, along with

Capillary electrophoresis is a well-established separation technique in analytical research laboratories worldwide. Its interesting advantages make CE an efficient and potent alternative to other chromatographic techniques. However, it is also recognized that its main drawback is the relatively poor sensitivity when using optical detection. One way to overcome this limitation is to perform a derivatization reaction which is intended to provide the analyte more suitable analytical characteristics enabling a high sensitive detection. Based on the analytical step where the CE derivatization takes place, it can be classified as precapillary (before separation), in-capillary (during separation), or postcapillary (after separation). This chapter describes the application of four different derivatization protocols (in-capillary and precapillary modes) to carry out the achiral and chiral analysis of different compounds in food and biological samples with three different detection modes (UV, LIF, and MS).

We present a fluid dynamics video showing how capillary rafts sink. Small objects trapped at an interface are very common in Nature (insects walking on water, ant rafts, bubbles or pollen at the water-air interface, membranes...) and are found in many multiphase industrial processes. Thanks to Archimedes principle we can easily predict whether an object sinks or floats. But what happens when several small particles are placed at an interface between two fluids. In this case surface tension also plays an important role. These particles self-assemble by capillarity and thus form what we call a "capillary raft". We show how such capillary rafts sink for varying sizes of particles and define how this parameter affects the sinking process.

The characterization of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH; somatropin) by capillary electrophoresis (CE) with UV-absorbance and mass spectrometric (MS) detection using capillaries noncovalently coated with polybrene (PB) and poly(vinyl sulfonic acid) (PVS) is demonstrated. Compared with bare fused-silica capillaries, PB-PVS coated capillaries yielded more favorable migration-time reproducibilities and higher separation efficiencies. Optimal separation conditions for the bilayer-coated capillaries comprised a background electrolyte (BGE) of 400 mM Tris phosphate (pH 8.5) yielding migration-time R.S.D.s of less than 1.0% and plate numbers above 300,000 for intact rhGH. The protein was also analyzed using the CE method described in the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) monograph. The pharmacopoeial method gave much longer analysis times (22 min versus 8 min), lower resolution and plate numbers, and consecutive shifts in migration time for rhGH, indicating possible interactions between the protein and the inner capillary wall. Due to stable migration times obtained with the coated capillaries, reliable profiling and quantification of rhGH and its byproducts in time was possible. Analysis of thermally degraded rhGH revealed the formation of two main degradation products. CE-mass spectrometry (MS) of this sample, using a PB-PVS coated capillary and a BGE of 75 mM ammonium formate (pH 8.5), suggests that these products are desamido forms of rhGH. Analyses of expired rhGH preparations with CE-UV and CE-MS indicated the presence of both deamidation and oxidation products.

In recent years, many volumetric illumination models have been proposed, which have the potential to simulate advanced lighting effects and thus support improved image comprehension. Although volume ray-casting is widely accepted as the volume rendering technique which achieves the highest image quality, so far no volumetric illumination algorithm has been designed to be directly incorporated into the ray-casting process. In this paper we propose image plane sweep volume illumination (IPSVI), which allows the integration of advanced illumination effects into a GPU-based volume ray-caster by exploiting the plane sweep paradigm. Thus, we are able to reduce the problem complexity and achieve interactive frame rates, while supporting scattering as well as shadowing. Since all illumination computations are performed directly within a single rendering pass, IPSVI does not require any preprocessing nor does it need to store intermediate results within an illumination volume. It therefore has a significantly lower memory footprint than other techniques. This makes IPSVI directly applicable to large data sets. Furthermore, the integration into a GPU-based ray-caster allows for high image quality as well as improved rendering performance by exploiting early ray termination. This paper discusses the theory behind IPSVI, describes its implementation, demonstrates its visual results and provides performance measurements.

Glycosylation plays an important role in protein conformations and functions as well as many biological activities. Capillary electrophoresis combined with various detection methods provided remarkable developments for high-sensitivity glycan profiling. The coating of the capillary is needed for highly polar molecules from complex biosamples. A poly(vinyl alcohol)-coated capillary is commonly utilized in the capillary electrophoresis separation of saccharides sample due to the high-hydrophilicity properties. A modified facile coating workflow was carried out to acquire a novel multiple-layer poly(vinyl alcohol)-coated capillary for highly sensitive and stable analysis of glycans. The migration time fluctuation was used as index in the optimization of layers and a double layer was finally chosen, considering both the effects and simplicity in fabrication. With migration time relative standard deviation less than 1% and theoretical plates kept stable during 100 consecutive separations, the method was presented to be suitable for the analysis of glycosylation with wide linear dynamic range and good reproducibility. The glycan profiling of enzymatically released N-glycans from human serum was obtained by the presented capillary electrophoresis method combined with mass spectrometry detection with acceptable results.

Capillary zone electrophoresis is fast becoming one of the most sensitive separation schemes for sampling complex microenvironments. A unique detection scheme is developed in which a charge-coupled device (CCD) detects laser induced fluorescence from an axially illuminated electrophoresis capillary. The fluorescence from an analyte band is measured over a several centimeter section of the capillary, greatly increasing the observation time of the fluorescently tagged band. The sensitivity of the system is in the 1-8 X 10-20 mol range for derivatized amino acids and peptides. Subattomole quantities of bag cell neuropeptides collected from the giant marine mollusk Aplysia californica can be measured.

of about 7 ml/100 g-min. This corresponds to a capillary diffusion capacity of 2.0 ml/100 g-min which is half the value reported for vasodilated skeletal muscle having approximately twice as great capillary surface area. Thus, adipose tissue has about the same capillary permeability during slight metabolic...

Recently, we demonstrated controllable 3D self-folding by means of capillary forces of silicon-nitride micro-objects made of rigid plates connected to each other by flexible hinges (Legrain et al., 2014). In this paper, we introduce platinum electrodes running from the substrate to the plates over t

A concept for a novel arc-field, illumination projection system, particularly for EUVL applications, is presented. This system consists of a light source, a collector, a fly-eye, and a condenser. The fly-eye has two reflectors. One of them is constructed with using arc-shaped, concave mirror elements, the other using many rectangular, concave mirror elements. Both elements are arranged closely side by side. All of the arc-shaped mirrors have a corresponding rectangular mirror on a one-to-one basis. Each rectangular mirror projects its corresponding arc-shaped mirror's images onto an arc projection field on the mask. As a consequence, all of incident rays on fly-eye reflector constructed by arc-shape mirror elements are gathered in the arc projection field. Currently, the main type of illumination system for EUVL is based on so-called 'Koehler-critical illumination,' which is not necessarily proper for a scanner system. Then this system adopts Koehler illumination. It is necessary for scanner illumination systems to have means for minute adjustments of its properties (e.g. irradiance distribution). Such adjustments means are presented.

The performance of capillary electrophoresis (CE) operating with a sulfonated capillary for the separation of protein adducts of anticancer ruthenium(III)-based drugs was evaluated. The coated capillary was shown to yield improved resolution of albumin- and transferrin-bound species of ruthenium compared with that attained with the bare fused-silica capillary. The coating also showed an increased reproducibility of migration times and peak areas and allowed reasonably high efficiency separation of analytes (up to 1300 theoretical plates per meter), which display high affinity toward a fused-silica surface. In addition, due to rather high electroosmotic flow (EOF, > 45 x 10(-5)cm(2)V(-1)s(-1)) in the coated capillary, it enabled fast counter-EOF monitoring of albumin and transferrin adducts. This benefit, together with requiring only a short flush with the background electrolyte to have migration times reproducible (at capillary holding promise for CE examination of fast reactions such as those accompanying protein-drug interactions and biotransformations associated with drug delivery via protein binding.

In the 1980s, capillary electrophoresis (CE) joined high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as the most powerful separation technique available to analytical chemists and biochemists. Published research using CE grew from 48 papers in the year of commercial introduction (1988) to 1200 in 1997. While only a dozen major pharmaceutical and biotech companies have reduced CE to routine practice, the applications market is showing real or potential growth in key areas, particularly in the DNA marketplace for genomic mapping and forensic identification. For drug development involving small molecules (including chiral separations), one CE instrument can replace 10 liquid chromatographs in terms of speed of analysis. CE also uses aqueous rather than organic solvents and is thus environmentally friendlier than HPLC. The second edition of Practical Capillary Electrophoresis has been extensively reorganized and rewritten to reflect modern usage in the field, with an emphasis on commercially available apparatus and ...

We demonstrate, in both two and three dimensions, how a self-guided beam in a non-Kerr medium is split into two beams on weak illumination. We also provide an elegant physical explanation that predicts the universal character of the observed phenomenon. Possible applications of our findings to guiding light with light are also discussed.

Full Text Available We present modeling and analysis for the static behavior and collapse instabilities of doubly-clamped and cantilever microbeams subjected to capillary forces. These forces can be as a result of a volume of liquid trapped underneath the microbeam during the rinsing and drying process in fabrication. The model considers the microbeam as a continuous medium, the capillary force as a nonlinear function of displacement, and accounts for the mid-plane stretching and geometric nonlinearities. The capillary force is assumed to be distributed over a specific length underneath the microbeam. The Galerkin procedure is used to derive a reduced-order model consisting of a set of nonlinear algebraic and differential equations that describe the microbeams static and dynamic behaviors. We study the collapse instability, which brings the microbeam from its unstuck configuration to touch the substrate and gets stuck in the so-called pinned configuration. We calculate the pull-in length that distinguishes the free from the pinned configurations as a function of the beam thickness and gap width for both microbeams. Comparisons are made with analytical results reported in the literature based on the Ritz method for linear and nonlinear beam models. The instability problem, which brings the microbeam from a pinned to adhered configuration is also investigated. For this case, we use a shooting technique to solve the boundary-value problem governing the deflection of the microbeams. The critical microbeam length for this second instability is also calculated.

The blind structured illumination microscopy (SIM) strategy proposed in (Mudry et al., 1992) is drastically revisited in this paper, unveiling the mechanism that drives the super-resolution in the method. A much improved numerical implementation is also provided for the reconstruction problem under the image positivity constraint. This algorithm rests on a new preconditioned proximal iteration faster than existing solutions, paving the way to 3D and real-time 2D reconstruction.

Capillary forces have been measured by atomic force microscopy in the plate-sphere setup between gold, borosilicate glass, GeSbTe, titanium, and UV-irradiated amorphous titanium-dioxide surfaces. The force measurements were performed as a function contact time and surface roughness in the range 0.2-15nm rms and relative humidity ranging between 2% and 40%. It is found that even for the lowest attainable relative humidity (˜2%±1%) very large capillary forces are still present. The latter suggests the persistence of a nanometers-thick adsorbed water layer that acts as a capillary bridge between contacting surfaces. Moreover, we found a significantly different scaling behavior of the force with rms roughness for materials with different hydrophilicity as compared to gold-gold surfaces.

A "continent" made of a layer of hexagonally packed black polyethylene spheres floating in clear silicon oil breaks into subcontinents when illuminated by an ordinary incandescent light bulb. This experiment may be a useful model of plate tectonics driven by horizontal temperature gradients. Measurements of the spreading rate are made to establish the feasibility of this model.

A 10 inch laser illuminated flat panel Planar Optic Display (POD) screen has been constructed and tested. This POD screen technology is an entirely new concept in display technology. Although the initial display is flat and made of glass, this technology lends itself to applications where a plastic display might be wrapped around the viewer. The display screen is comprised of hundreds of planar optical waveguides where each glass waveguide represents a vertical line of resolution. A black cladding layer, having a lower index of refraction, is placed between each waveguide layer. Since the cladding makes the screen surface black, the contrast is high. The prototype display is 9 inches wide by 5 inches high and approximately I inch thick. A 3 milliwatt HeNe laser is used as the illumination source and a vector scanning technique is employed.

We present the first experimental realization of the quantum illumination protocol proposed by Lloyd [Science 321, 1463 (2008)] and S. Tan et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 253601 (2008)], achieved in a simple feasible experimental scheme based on photon-number correlations. A main achievement of our result is the demonstration of a strong robustness of the quantum protocol to noise and losses that challenges some widespread wisdom about quantum technologies.

The temporal behavior of VUV spectra of capillary discharge with a rate of a current rise on the order of 1012 A/s is studied. The current is generated using an inductive storage unit with a plasma-erosion opening switch. This discharge is accompanied by the generation of a shock wave on an inner wall of a capillary and by its subsequent cumulation on the discharge axis. The capillary is prefilled with argon at a pressure of 80 Pa. Radiation spectra are obtained using an off-Rowland spectrograph based on a concave grating with optimal focusing in the wavelength range of 20 nm. The radiation is recorded with a detector based on a microchannel plate with a time resolution of 20 ns, which makes it possible to separate the spectra of two phases of the discharge, i.e., the cumulation phase of the shock wave in argon that fills the capillary ( T e ˜ 20-30 eV) and the phase of subsequent discharge in a substance desorbed from the capillary wall T e ˜ 50 eV).

A new laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detector for multicapillary electrophoresis is presented. The detection principle is based on waveguiding of the emitted fluorescence from the point of illumination to the capillary ends by total internal reflection (TIR) and imaging of the capillary ends. The capillaries themselves thus act as liquid core waveguides (LCWs). At the illumination point, the capillaries are arranged in a planar array, which allows clean and efficient illumination with a line-focused laser beam. The capillary ends are rearranged into a small, densely packed two-dimensional array, which is imaged end-on with high light collection efficiency and excellent image quality. Wavelength dispersion is obtained with a single prism. Intercapillary optical crosstalk is less than 0.5%, and rejection of stray light is very efficient. The detector is applied to four-color DNA sequencing by gel electrophoresis in a 91-capillary array, with simple fluorescein and rhodamine dyes as fluorophores. Since the imaged two-dimensional array is so compact, the detector has a high potential for very large-scale multiplexing.

A simple coating procedure for generation of a high and pH-independent electroosmotic flow in capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) and micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC) is described. The bilayer coating was formed by noncovalent adsorption of the ionic polymers Polybrene...

The review deals with modern analytical approaches used in capillary electrophoresis for solving medical and biological problems: search for biomarkers of various diseases and rapid diagnosis based on characteristic profiles of biologically active compounds by capillary electrophoresis with mass spectrometric detection; monitoring of the residual drugs in biological fluids for evaluating the efficiency of drug therapy; testing of the enantiomeric purity of pharmaceutical products; the use of novel materials as components of stationary and pseudo-stationary phases in capillary electrophoresis and capillary electrochromatography to increase the selectivity of separation of components of complex matrices; and identification of various on-line preconcentration techniques to reduce the detection limits of biologically active analytes. A topical trend in capillary electrophoresis required in clinical practice, viz., the design of microfluidic systems, is discussed. The bibliography includes 173 references.

Full Text Available Virtual studio technology plays an important role for modern television productions. Blue-screen matting is a common technique for integrating real actors or moderators into computer generated sceneries. Augmented reality offers the possibility to mix real and virtual in a more general context. This article proposes a new technological approach for combining real studio content with computer-generated information. Digital light projection allows a controlled spatial, temporal, chrominance and luminance modulation of illumination opening new possibilities for TV studios.

The usefulness of a noncovalent, positively charged capillary coating for the efficient analysis of intact basic proteins with CE was studied. Capillaries were coated by subsequent flushing with solutions of 10% w/v Polybrene (PB), 3% w/v dextran sulfate (DS), and again 10% w/v PB. Coating characterization studies showed that stable coatings could be produced which exhibited a pH-independent and highly reproducible EOF. The PB-DS-PB coating was evaluated with Tris phosphate BGEs of various pH using the four basic model proteins: alpha-chymotrypsinogen A, ribonuclease A, cytochrome c, and lysozyme. Typical migration time RSDs for the proteins were less than 0.85%, and apparent plate numbers were above 125,000 using a capillary length of 40 cm. The high separation efficiency allowed detection of several minor impurities in the model proteins. Using a BGE of medium pH, the CE system with triple-layer coating appeared to be useful for the repeatable profiling of recombinant humanized mouse monoclonal immunoglobulin G(1) showing a characteristic pattern of glycoforms. The CE system was also applied to the characterization of two llama antibodies, which were produced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, revealing the presence of a side product in one of the antibodies. The high migration time stability allowed the reliable determination of antibody-antigen binding by monitoring migration time shifts. Finally, the feasibility of using the PB-DS-PB coated capillaries for CE with mass spectrometric detection was shown by the characterization of the impure llama antibody sample.

Multidimensional separation where two or more orthogonal displacement mechanisms are combined is a promising approach to increase peak capacity in CE. The combinations allow dramatic improvement of analytical performance since the total peak capacity is given by a product of the peak capacities of all methods. The initial reports were concentrated on the construction of effective connections between capillaries for 2D analysis. Today, 2D and 3D CE systems are now able to separate real complex biological or environmental mixtures with good repeatability, improved resolution with minimal loss of sample. This review will present the developments in the field of multidimensional CE during the last 15 years. The endeavors in this specific field were on the development of interfaces, interface-free techniques including integrated separations, microdevices, and on-line sample concentration techniques to improve detection sensitivity.

The invention provides a side-entry optical excitation geometry for use in a multiplexed capillary electrophoresis system. A charge-injection device is optically coupled to capillaries in the array such that the interior of a capillary is imaged onto only one pixel. In Sanger-type 4-label DNA sequencing reactions, nucleotide identification (``base calling``) is improved by using two long-pass filters to split fluorescence emission into two emission channels. A binary poly(ethyleneoxide) matrix is used in the electrophoretic separations. 19 figs.

Water capillary bridges are prepared that span hydrophilic pinning features on parallel opposing smooth, flat, and hydrophobic surfaces. These bridges are distorted by shearing the parallel plates at a low rate. The capillary bridges lengthen and distort to balance Laplace pressure (equilibrate mean curvature) as the features are separated and eventually rupture at a distance that is a function of the liquid volume, the advancing and receding contact angles of the surfaces, the separation between the parallel surfaces, and in particular, the shape and orientation of the hydrophilic pinning features. Two modes of capillary bridge failure are observed: (1) tensile, in which the capillary bridge breaks to form sessile drops on both the upper and lower surfaces, and (2) sessile, in which sessile capillary bridge rupture occurs on one surface to form a puddle (contact-line-distorted sessile drop) on the feature and a retained capillary bridge spanning the hydrophobic surface and the hydrophilic feature on the opposing surface. The shape and orientation of the features control the mode of capillary bridge failure as well as the distribution of water between the two separate sessile drops or the retained capillary bridge and the puddle.

In this paper, we present an unsupervised method for segmenting the illuminant regions and estimating the illumination power spectrum from a single image of a scene lit by multiple light sources. Here, illuminant region segmentation is cast as a probabilistic clustering problem in the image spectral radiance space. We formulate the problem in an optimization setting, which aims to maximize the likelihood of the image radiance with respect to a mixture model while enforcing a spatial smoothness constraint on the illuminant spectrum. We initialize the sample pixel set under each illuminant via a projection of the image radiance spectra onto a low-dimensional subspace spanned by a randomly chosen subset of spectra. Subsequently, we optimize the objective function in a coordinate-ascent manner by updating the weights of the mixture components, sample pixel set under each illuminant, and illuminant posterior probabilities. We then estimate the illuminant power spectrum per pixel making use of these posterior probabilities. We compare our method with a number of alternatives for the tasks of illumination region segmentation, illumination color estimation, and color correction. Our experiments show the effectiveness of our method as applied to one hyperspectral and three trichromatic image data sets.

Transport in porous media is common in nature, attracting many attentions for a long time. Tree-like network model is often used as a simplification for porous space, expressing the complexity of pore spaces instead of capillary bundle. To investigate spontaneous imbibition characteristics in this network, a dynamic asymmetric branch-like capillary model is used to represent basic network structure, using fractal method to represent tortuosity. This work investigates the influence of parameters on imbibition process in the branch-like capillary model. An analytical equation for the imbibition mass versus time is derived. Parameters from capillary structures to liquid properties are taken into account and analyzed based on the numerical solution of the equation. It is found that the imbibition process in asymmetric branch-like capillary model can be recognized by four sections and brunching tubes are positive for imbibition process. Concomitantly, meniscus arrest event is simulated and discussed. Moreover, the influence of parameters on imbibition process is discussed. These parameters can be classified as static and dynamic. Static parameters mainly change the capillary force, which are related to the ultimate imbibition mass or imbibition ability, while dynamic parameters mainly have influence on resistance of flowing fluid, which are related to the imbibition speed in the imbibition process.

We report a technique based on Fresnel diffraction with white illumination that permits the resolution of capillary surface patterns of less than 100 nanometers. We investigate Rayleigh Plateaux like instability on a viscoelastic capillary bridge and show that we can overcome the resolution limit of optical microscopy. The viscoelastic filaments are approximately 20 microns thick at the end of the thinning process when the instability sets in. The wavy distortions grow exponentially in time and the pattern is resolved by an image treatment that is based on an approximation of the measured rising flank of the first Fresnel peak.

In many illumination problems, the beam pattern needed and/or some geometrical constraints lead to very asymmetric design conditions. These asymmetries have been solved in the past by means of arrangements of rotationally symmetric or linear lamps aimed in different directions whose patterns overlap to provide the asymmetric prescriptions or by splitting one single lamp into several sections, each one providing a part of the pattern. The development of new design methods yielding smooth continuous free-form optical surfaces to solve these challenging design problems, combined with the proper CAD modeling tools plus the development of multiple axes diamond turn machines, give birth to a new generation of optics. These are able to offer the performance and other advanced features, such as efficiency, compactness, or aesthetical advantages, and can be manufactured at low cost by injection molding. This paper presents two examples of devices with free-form optical surfaces, a camera flash, and a car headlamp.

Visual field function in the right and left eyes of 31 normal volunteers was evaluated with an automated projection perimeter (OCTOPUS). Serial visual field evaluations were repeated in these same eyes with neutral filters of increasing optical density. We compared the results of threshold determinations with the different neutral filters in place before the examined eye. Significant reduction in threshold sensitivity at several test spots throughout the central 30 degrees visual field was seen with neutral density filters of 0.5 log units or greater. The low level of background illumination of the OCTOPUS perimeter (4.0 apostilbs) may allow relatively minor reduction in light transmission by the ocular media to produce significant changes in the recorded level of threshold sensitivity during visual field evaluation.

rearrangement of the illuminated photocatalysts as well as localized charging effects and variations. We aim to investigate the reaction to gas and light exposure at the nanoscale. References [1] Herrmann, J. M., Top. Catal. 2005, 34, (1-4), 49-65. [2] Tsujimoto, M., S. Moriguchi, et al., J. Electron. Microsc......, composition and operation of photocatalysts and to provide information on the compounds inner arrangement and a fundamental contribution for their further optimization [2]. We want to construct a novel specimen holder capable of shining light onto samples inside the TEM allowing real time in situ experiments....... The holder is implemented with a laser diode and an optical system that guides the light onto the sample surface with maximum power transmission. The source can be changed and tuned according to the needs, in principle spanning the whole visible and UV light spectrum. It is possible to use the device inside...

This review gives a survey of selectivity modes in capillary electrophoresis separations in pharmaceutical analysis and bioanalysis. Despite the high efficiencies of these separation techniques, good selectivity is required to allow quantitation or identification of a Chemistry and Toxicology, parti

Capillary electrophoresis is becoming more and more important in nucleic acid analysis including DNA sequencing, typing and disease gene measurements. This work summarized the background of DNA typing. The recent development of capillary electrophoresis was also discussed. The second part of the thesis showed the principle of DNA typing based on using the allelic ladder as the absolute standard ladder in capillary electrophoresis system. Future work will be focused on demonstrating DNA typing on multiplex loci and examples of disease diagnosis in the on-line format of PCR-CE. Also capillary array electrophoresis system should allow high throughput, fast speed DNA typing. Only the introduction and conclusions for this report are available here. A reprint was removed for separate processing.

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Characterizing humans' ability to discriminate changes in illumination provides information about the visual system's representation of the distal stimulus. We have previously shown that humans are able to discriminate illumination changes and that sensitivity to such changes depends on their chromatic direction. Probing illumination discrimination further would be facilitated by the use of computer-graphics simulations, which would, in practice, enable a wider range of stimulus manipulations. There is no a priori guarantee, however, that results obtained with simulated scenes generalize to real illuminated scenes. To investigate this question, we measured illumination discrimination in real and simulated scenes that were well-matched in mean chromaticity and scene geometry. Illumination discrimination thresholds were essentially identical for the two stimulus types. As in our previous work, these thresholds varied with illumination change direction. We exploited the flexibility offered by the use of graphics simulations to investigate whether the differences across direction are preserved when the surfaces in the scene are varied. We show that varying the scene's surface ensemble in a manner that also changes mean scene chromaticity modulates the relative sensitivity to illumination changes along different chromatic directions. Thus, any characterization of sensitivity to changes in illumination must be defined relative to the set of surfaces in the scene.

We present an improved structured illumination configuration for structured illumination microscopy (SIM) based on spatial light modulator. Precise phase shifts and rotation of illumination fringes can be dynamically controlled using a spatial light modulator. The method is different from the conventional illumination configuration that are based on interference of ±1 diffractive order light. The experimental setup requires less optical elements making it compact, reliable, and suitable for integration. The method has been applied in the standing-wave total internal reflection fluorescent microscopy. High lateral resolution of sub-100 nm was achieved in single directional resolution enhancement experiments.

Density estimation employed in multi-pass global illumination algorithms gives cause to a trade-off problem between bias and noise. The problem is seen most evident as blurring of strong illumination features. This thesis addresses the problem, presenting four methods that reduce both noise...... and bias in estimates. Good results are obtained by the use of anisotropic filtering. Two methods handles the most common cases; filtering illumination reflected from object surfaces. One methods extends filtering to the temporal domain and one performs filtering on illumination from participating media...

A novel type of fused silica capillary system is described where channels with circular cross-sections are tangentially in contact with each other and connected through a small opening at the contact area. Since the channels are not crossing each other in the same plane, the capillaries can easily be filled with different solutions, i.e. different solutions will be in contact with each other at the contact point. The system has been used to perform different types of two-dimensional separations and the complete system is fully automated where a high voltage switch is used to control the location of the high voltage in the system. Using two model compounds it is demonstrated that a type of two-dimensional separation can be performed using capillary zone electrophoresis at two different pH values. It is also shown that a compound with acid/base properties can be concentrated using a dynamic pH junction mechanism when transferred from the first separation to the second separation. In addition, the system has been used to perform a comprehensive two-dimensional capillary electrophoresis separation of tryptic digest of bovine serum albumin using capillary zone electrophoresis followed by micellar electrokinetic chromatography.

We present a tool that simultaneously measures the complex permittivity and the capillary pressure characteristics for multiphase flow. The sample holder is a parallel plate capacitor. A precision component analyzer is used to measure the impedance amplitude and phase angle as a function of frequenc

Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) is a widely used method of qualitative analysis in organic synthesis, as it uniquely combines low cost, rapidity, simplicity, versatility, small quantities of sample and low detection limits. The simplest and most economical method for the application of samples onto TLC plates is by hand, using glass capillaries.…

Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) is a widely used method of qualitative analysis in organic synthesis, as it uniquely combines low cost, rapidity, simplicity, versatility, small quantities of sample and low detection limits. The simplest and most economical method for the application of samples onto TLC plates is by hand, using glass capillaries.…

We present a novel method to optimize the attenuation of light for the single scattering model in direct volume rendering. A common problem of single scattering is the high dynamic range between lit and shadowed regions due to the exponential attenuation of light along a ray. Moreover, light is often attenuated too strong between a sample point and the camera, hampering the visibility of important features. Our algorithm employs an importance function to selectively illuminate important structures and make them visible from the camera. With the importance function, more light can be transmitted to the features of interest, while contextual structures cast shadows which provide visual cues for perception of depth. At the same time, more scattered light is transmitted from the sample point to the camera to improve the primary visibility of important features. We formulate a minimization problem that automatically determines the extinction along a view or shadow ray to obtain a good balance between sufficient transmittance and attenuation. In contrast to previous approaches, we do not require a computationally expensive solution of a global optimization, but instead provide a closed-form solution for each sampled extinction value along a view or shadow ray and thus achieve interactive performance.

In the quantum illumination protocol for secure communication, Alice prepares entangled signal and idler beams via spontaneous parametric downconversion. She sends the signal beam to Bob, while retaining the idler. Bob imposes message modulation on the beam he receives from Alice, amplifies it, and sends it back to her. Alice then decodes Bob's information by making a joint quantum measurement on the light she has retained and the light she has received from him. The basic performance analysis for this protocol—which demonstrates its immunity to passive eavesdropping, in which Eve can only listen to Alice and Bob's transmissions—is reviewed, along with the results of its first proof-of-principle experiment. Further analysis is then presented, showing that secure data rates in excess of 1 Gbps may be possible over 20-km-long fiber links with technology that is available or under development. Finally, an initial scheme for thwarting active eavesdropping, in which Eve injects her own light into Bob's terminal, is proposed and analyzed.

An approach to automatically correct illumination problems in dermatological images is presented. The illumination function is estimated after combining the thematic map indicating skin-produced by an automated classification scheme- with the dermatological image data. The user is only required t...

Rimbaud's "Illuminations," one vast word-game, is used as an example of one of the most interesting challenges in translation--the rendering of plays on words. The process is discussed and illustrated by the analysis of numerous segments from "Illuminations." It is concluded that a satisfactory translation is almost impossible.…

The purpose is to take full advantage of daylight for inside illumination. The inside illuminance and luminous efficacy of the available solar radiation were analyzed. The paper deals with the controlled dynamic illuminance response of built environment in real-time conditions. The aim is controlled functioning of the roller blind as a regulation device to assure the desired inside illuminance with smooth roller blind moving. Automatic illuminance control based on fuzzy logic is realized on a test chamber with an opening on the south side. The development and design of the fuzzy controller for the corresponding positioning of the roller blind with the available solar radiation as external disturbance is the subject of this paper. (author)

A new method for laser illumination in particle image velocimetry (PIV) has been introduced: internal "isotropic-planar" illumination that provides laser light to regions of the flow field that were previously cast into shadow using the conventional external (laser light sheet) illumination method. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the isotropic-planar illumination method, a comparison of the measured velocity field around five side-by-side circular cylinders that are immersed in uniform flow is made against the conventional external illumination method. The new method is effective at eliminating the shadow region, allowing the velocity field of the upstream, gap and downstream regions around the five side-by-side circular cylinders to be measured simultaneously. These PIV measurements provide new insight into the behavior of the gap flow that passes between the cylinders.

The main conclusions drawn from this thesis are; 7 scientific papers are published on a broad variety of subjects, and describes in detail the experiments and research treated in this thesis. Scientific research has been performed, investigating the subjects of capillary pressure and capillary heterogeneities from different angles. This thesis discusses the findings in this study and aims to illustrate the benefits of the results obtained for further development of other experiments, and/or even the industrial benefits in field development. The methods for wettability alteration have developed throughout the work. From producing heterogeneous wettability alterations, the methods have improved to giving both radial and lateral uniform wettability alterations, which also remains unaltered throughout the duration of the experimental work. The alteration of wettability is dependent on initial water saturation, flow rate, aging time and crude oil composition. Capillary pressure and relative permeability curves have been measured for core plugs at different wettabilities using conventional centrifuge methods. The trends observed are mostly consistent with theory. The production mechanisms of strongly and moderately water wet chalk has been investigated. At strongly water wet conditions in fractured chalk; the flow is governed by capillary forces, showing strong impact from the fractures. At moderately water wet conditions, the impact of the fractures are absent, and a dispersed water front is observed during the displacement. The oil recovery is about the same, at the two wettabilities. Fracture crossing mechanisms at the same wettability conditions have been mapped. And the observations are consistent with those of the water floods. During strongly water wet displacement, the fracture crossing is occurring once the inlet core has reached endpoint of spontaneous imbibition. At moderately water wet conditions the fracture crossing is less abrupt, and creation of wetting

Non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis and capillary electrochromatography are special variants of these techniques. Here, organic solvents or their mixtures with or without dissolved electrolytes are used as separation buffer or mobile phase, respectively. The most important features of non-aqueous systems are: better solubility of more hydrophobic ionic substances (many natural products) than in water, much less current and Joule heating allows for using highly concentrated buffers and/or larger capillary internal diameters, polar interactions are enhanced in organic solvents which is often highly advantageous in chiral separation systems. This chapter presents most frequently used solvents, their properties, as well as shows pH* scale which is often used in non-aqueous systems.

In modeling porous media two distinct approaches can be employed; the sample can be examined holistically, using global variables such as porosity, or it can be treated as a network of capillaries connected in series to various intermediate reservoirs. In forced imbibition this series-based description is sufficient to characterize the flow, due to the presence of an externally maintained pressure difference. However, in spontaneous imbibition, flow is driven by an internal capillary pressure, making it unclear whether a series-based model is appropriate. In this talk, we show using numerical simulations the dynamics of spontaneous imbibition in concentrically arranged capillary tubes. This geometry allows both tubes access to a semi-infinite reservoir but with inlets in close enough proximity to allow for interference. We compare and contrast the results of our simulations with theory and previous experiments. Schlumberger-Doll Research.

The phenomenon of colour constancy in human visual perception keeps surface colours constant, despite changes in their reflected light due to changing illumination. Although colour constancy has evolved under a constrained subset of illuminations, it is unknown whether its underlying mechanisms, thought to involve multiple components from retina to cortex, are optimised for particular environmental variations. Here we demonstrate a new method for investigating colour constancy using illumination matching in real scenes which, unlike previous methods using surface matching and simulated scenes, allows testing of multiple, real illuminations. We use real scenes consisting of solid familiar or unfamiliar objects against uniform or variegated backgrounds and compare discrimination performance for typical illuminations from the daylight chromaticity locus (approximately blue-yellow) and atypical spectra from an orthogonal locus (approximately red-green, at correlated colour temperature 6700 K), all produced in real time by a 10-channel LED illuminator. We find that discrimination of illumination changes is poorer along the daylight locus than the atypical locus, and is poorest particularly for bluer illumination changes, demonstrating conversely that surface colour constancy is best for blue daylight illuminations. Illumination discrimination is also enhanced, and therefore colour constancy diminished, for uniform backgrounds, irrespective of the object type. These results are not explained by statistical properties of the scene signal changes at the retinal level. We conclude that high-level mechanisms of colour constancy are biased for the blue daylight illuminations and variegated backgrounds to which the human visual system has typically been exposed.

Full Text Available The phenomenon of colour constancy in human visual perception keeps surface colours constant, despite changes in their reflected light due to changing illumination. Although colour constancy has evolved under a constrained subset of illuminations, it is unknown whether its underlying mechanisms, thought to involve multiple components from retina to cortex, are optimised for particular environmental variations. Here we demonstrate a new method for investigating colour constancy using illumination matching in real scenes which, unlike previous methods using surface matching and simulated scenes, allows testing of multiple, real illuminations. We use real scenes consisting of solid familiar or unfamiliar objects against uniform or variegated backgrounds and compare discrimination performance for typical illuminations from the daylight chromaticity locus (approximately blue-yellow and atypical spectra from an orthogonal locus (approximately red-green, at correlated colour temperature 6700 K, all produced in real time by a 10-channel LED illuminator. We find that discrimination of illumination changes is poorer along the daylight locus than the atypical locus, and is poorest particularly for bluer illumination changes, demonstrating conversely that surface colour constancy is best for blue daylight illuminations. Illumination discrimination is also enhanced, and therefore colour constancy diminished, for uniform backgrounds, irrespective of the object type. These results are not explained by statistical properties of the scene signal changes at the retinal level. We conclude that high-level mechanisms of colour constancy are biased for the blue daylight illuminations and variegated backgrounds to which the human visual system has typically been exposed.

The electrical resistance of consecutive segments of capillaries has been determined by a method in which the microvessels were treated as a leaky, infinite cable. A two-dimensional analytical model to describe the potential field in response to intracapillary current injection was formulated. The model allowed determination of the electrical resistance from four sets of data: the capillary radius, the capillary length constant, the length constant in the mesentery perpendicular to the capillary, and the relative potential drop across the capillary wall. Of particular importance were the mesothelial membranes covering the mesenteric capillaries with resistances several times higher than that of the capillary endothelium. 27 frog mesenteric capillaries were characterized. The average resistance of the endothelium was 1.85 omega cm2, which compares well with earlier determinations of the ionic permeability of such capillaries. However, heterogeneity with respect to resistance was observed, that of 10 arterial capillaries being 3.0 omega cm2 as compared with 0.95 omega cm2 for 17 mid- and venous capillaries. The average in situ length constant was 99 micrometers for the arterial capillaries and 57 micrometers for the mid- and venous capillaries. It is likely that the ions that carry the current must move paracellularly, through junctions that are leaky to small solutes. PMID:7241087

In this work, we fabricated a novel graphene-based capillary column for open-tubular capillary electrochromatography (OT-CEC) by a layer-by-layer strategy. To immobilize graphene onto the inner surface of silica capillary, a bio-inspired method was first used to functionalize the capillary surface with a layer of polydopamine (PDA). Graphene oxide (GO) was then introduced and can covalently react with polydopamine, realizing immobilization of graphene as a result. To enhance the modification efficiency of polydopamine, a conductive polymer, polyaniline (PANI) was introduced to be a sub-layer; polydopamine was then introduced following with GO, to generate a multilayer GO-PDA-PANI@capillary. Interestingly, separation efficiency of the graphene-based capillary was enhanced significantly by using conductive PANI as a sub-layer. The morphology of different layers modified on the capillary column was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electroosmotic flow (EOF) characteristics of capillaries modified with different layers were also investigated by varying the pH value of mobile phase. GO-PDA-PANI@capillary showed good separation efficiency towards alkylbenzenes by OT-CEC mode, with theoretic plate numbers up to 133,918 for benzene. The separation was found to follow a reversed-phase chromatographic retention mechanism. Repeatability of the GO-PDA-PANI@capillary was studied, with relative standard deviations for intra-day and inter-day runs less than 2.89%, and column-to-column runs less than 6.17%. The separation performance of GO-PDA-PANI@capillary was also compared with that of the reported graphene modified capillary.

The effective capillary interaction potentials for small colloidal particles trapped at the surface of liquid droplets are calculated analytically. Pair potentials between capillary monopoles and dipoles, corresponding to particles floating on a droplet with a fixed center of mass and subjected to external forces and torques, respectively, exhibit a repulsion at large angular separations and an attraction at smaller separations, with the latter resembling the typical behavior for flat interfaces. This change of character is not observed for quadrupoles, corresponding to free particles on a mechanically isolated droplet. The analytical results are compared with the numerical minimization of the surface free energy of the droplet in the presence of spherical or ellipsoidal particles.

We demonstrate the utility of laser illuminated imaging for clandestine night time surveillance from a simulated airborne platform at standoff ranges in excess 20 km. In order to reduce the necessary laser per pulse energy required for illumination at such long ranges, and to mitigate atmospheric turbulence effects on image resolution, we have investigated a unique multi-frame post-processing technique. It is shown that in the presence of atmospheric turbulence and coherent speckle effects, this approach can produce superior results to conventional scene flood illumination.

A new approach for photorealistic rendering of a class of objects at arbitrary illumination is presented. The approach of the authors relies entirely on image based rendering techniques. A scheme is utilized for re-illumination of objects based on linear combination of low dimensional image representations. The minimum rendering condition of technique of the authors is three sample images under varying illumination of a reference object and a single input image of an interested object. Important properties of this approach are its simplicity, robustness and speediness. Experimental results validate the proposed rendering approach.

We provide an analytical model to describe the filling dynamics of horizontal cylindrical capillaries having charged walls. The presence of surface charge leads to two distinct effects: It leads to a retarding electrical force on the liquid column and also causes a reduced viscous drag force because

The inclusion of higher-order terms in the capillary-wave Hamiltonian may reduce the contributions of these fluctuations to the ellipsometric coefficients. We show that the renormalization of capillary waves at a fluid-fluid interface by Sengers and van Leeuwen [Phys. Rev. A 39 (1989) 6346] using the wave vector-dependent surface tension that follows from the coupled mode theory by Meunier [Phys. France 48 (1987)1819] yields a satisfactory agreement with recent ellipsometry measurements by Schmidt [Phys. Rev. A 38 (1988) 567]. The interface is viewed upon as an intrinsic interface broadened by capillary waves. We suppose that the cutoff wave vector q_{max} that follows from mode-coupling theory marks the transition from the short-wavelength bulk-like fluctuations that contribute to the bare surface tension to the long-wavelength capillary wave-like fluctuations that contribute to the full surface tension. This enables us to calculate, without any adjustable parameters, both the ratio of the bare and experimental surface tension and the universal constant for the elliptical thickness of the interface. Both agree remarkably well with experimental values.

We report a series of simulation studies which extends pattern-illuminated Fourier ptychography microscopy by integrating with the nonlinearity arising from saturation of the fluorophore excited state for super-resolution fluorescence imaging. This extended technique, termed Saturated pattern-illuminated Fourier ptychography (SpiFP) microscopy, could achieve a resolution four times that of wide field when the illuminating light intensity approaches the saturation threshold in simulations. Increasing light intensity leads to further resolution enhancement. In order to demonstrate the performance of SpiFP, we make a comparison between SpiFP and saturated structure illumination microscopy in simulations, and prove that the SpiFP exhibits superior robustness to noise, aberration correcting ability, and pattern’s flexibility. Introducing the saturation of the fluorescent emission brings in notable improvements in imaging performance, implying its potential in nanoscale-sized biological observations by wide-field microscopy.

The overall goal of this program was to develop capillary electrophoresis as the tool to be used to sequence for the first time the Human Genome. Our program was part of the Human Genome Project. In this work, we were highly successful and the replaceable polymer we developed, linear polyacrylamide, was used by the DOE sequencing lab in California to sequence a significant portion of the human genome using the MegaBase multiple capillary array electrophoresis instrument. In this final report, we summarize our efforts and success. We began our work by separating by capillary electrophoresis double strand oligonucleotides using cross-linked polyacrylamide gels in fused silica capillaries. This work showed the potential of the methodology. However, preparation of such cross-linked gel capillaries was difficult with poor reproducibility, and even more important, the columns were not very stable. We improved stability by using non-cross linked linear polyacrylamide. Here, the entangled linear chains could move when osmotic pressure (e.g. sample injection) was imposed on the polymer matrix. This relaxation of the polymer dissipated the stress in the column. Our next advance was to use significantly lower concentrations of the linear polyacrylamide that the polymer could be automatically blown out after each run and replaced with fresh linear polymer solution. In this way, a new column was available for each analytical run. Finally, while testing many linear polymers, we selected linear polyacrylamide as the best matrix as it was the most hydrophilic polymer available. Under our DOE program, we demonstrated initially the success of the linear polyacrylamide to separate double strand DNA. We note that the method is used even today to assay purity of double stranded DNA fragments. Our focus, of course, was on the separation of single stranded DNA for sequencing purposes. In one paper, we demonstrated the success of our approach in sequencing up to 500 bases. Other

Highly efficient capillary columns packed with superficially porous particles were created for use in ultrahigh pressure liquid chromatography. Superficially porous particles around 1.5μm in diameter were packed into fused silica capillary columns with 30, 50, and 75μm internal diameters. To create the columns, several capillary columns were serially packed from the same slurry, with packing progress plots being generated to follow the packing of each column. Characterization of these columns using hydroquinone yielded calculated minimum reduced plate heights as low as 1.24 for the most efficient 30μm internal diameter column, corresponding to over 500,000plates/m. At least one highly efficient column (minimum reduced plate height less than 2) was created for all three of the investigated column inner diameters, with the smallest diameter columns having the highest efficiency. This study proves that highly efficient capillary columns can be created using superficially porous particles and shows the efficiency potential of these particles.

Full Text Available Automatic face recognition remains an interesting but challenging computer vision open problem. Poor illumination is considered as one of the major issue, since illumination changes cause large variation in the facial features. To resolve this, illumination normalization preprocessing techniques are employed in this paper to enhance the face recognition rate. The methods such as Histogram Equalization (HE, Gamma Intensity Correction (GIC, Normalization chain and Modified Homomorphic Filtering (MHF are used for preprocessing. Owing to great success, the texture features are commonly used for face recognition. But these features are severely affected by lighting changes. Hence texture based models Local Binary Pattern (LBP, Local Derivative Pattern (LDP, Local Texture Pattern (LTP and Local Tetra Patterns (LTrPs are experimented under different lighting conditions. In this paper, illumination invariant face recognition technique is developed based on the fusion of illumination preprocessing with local texture descriptors. The performance has been evaluated using YALE B and CMU-PIE databases containing more than 1500 images. The results demonstrate that MHF based normalization gives significant improvement in recognition rate for the face images with large illumination conditions.

The electrophoretic behavior of seven sulfonylureas (bensulfuron methyl, sulfometuron methyl, nicosulfuron [accent], chlorimuron ethyl, thifensulfuron methyl [harmony], metsulfuron methyl, and chlorsulfuron) was studied under capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) and micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) conditions. Mixtures of these compounds were separated with very high efficiencies (2 x 10(5) theoretical plates) in a running buffer consisting of 3 parts acetate buffer (25 mM, pH 5.0) and 1 part acetonitrile. In this buffer system, acetonitrile was shown to be superior to methanol, acetone, and ethanol as a nonpolar additive, but any of these solvents can be used to reduce electroosmotic flow (EOF) and to obtain adequate separation. On-column detection limits at 214 nM were of the order of 80-100 fM. Micellar agents such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium cholate (but not monosialoganglioside-Gm1 or starburst dendrimer, generation 2.5) improved separation in phosphate and borate buffers. Implications of these results for the development of methods to detect these compounds on matrices of environmental origin are discussed. In particular, the instability of these compounds in methanol is noted and degradation products are detected using free zone CE. The methanolysis products of sulfometuron are tentatively identified by tandem MS (negative ion conditions) as 2-amino-4,6-dimethylpyrimidine and 2-carboxymethylbenz(N-carboxymethyl)sulfonamide.

In this paper, we present a way to render images in real time, with both direct and indirect illumination. Our approach uses precomputed indirect illumination images, produced at certain intervals, which need not be constant. When rendering a scene, the two closest images are then interpolated...... and added to the direct illumination to produce the total illumination. Depending on the type of image produced, the algorithm allows a camera to move, and even objects to be added or modified at runtime to some extent. Finally, we will see that the amount of data to store and process can also be reduced...

We present the experimental details and results from a low energy but high repetition rate compact plasma capillary source for extreme ultraviolet and soft x-ray research and applications. Two lengths of capillary are mounted in two versions of a closely related design. The discharge operates in 1.6 and 3.2 mm inner diameter alumina capillaries of lengths 21 and 36 mm. The use of water both as dielectric and as coolant simplifies the compact low inductance design with nanosecond discharge periods. The stored electrical energy of the discharge is approximately 0.5 J and is provided by directly charging the capacitor plates from an inexpensive insulated-gate bipolar transistor in 1 μs or less. We present characteristic argon spectra from plasma between 30 and 300 Å as well as temporally resolved x-ray energy fluence in discrete bands on axis. The spectra also allow the level of ablated wall material to be gauged and associated with useful capillary lifetime according to the chosen configuration and energy storage. The connection between the electron beams associated with the transient hollow cathode mechanism, soft x-ray output, capillary geometry, and capillary lifetime is reported. The role of these e-beams and the plasma as measured on-axis is discussed. The relation of the electron temperature and the ionization stages observed is discussed in the context of some model results of ionization in a non-Maxwellian plasma.

Hyperspectral imaging has emerged as an important tool for analysing vegetation data in agricultural applications. Recently, low altitude and ground based hyperspectral imaging solutions have come to the fore, providing very high resolution data for mapping and studying large areas of crops in detail. However, these platforms introduce a unique set of challenges that need to be overcome to ensure consistent, accurate and timely acquisition of data. One particular problem is dealing with changes in environmental illumination while operating with natural light under cloud cover, which can have considerable effects on spectral shape. In the past this has been commonly achieved by imaging known reference targets at the time of data acquisition, direct measurement of irradiance, or atmospheric modelling. While capturing a reference panel continuously or very frequently allows accurate compensation for illumination changes, this is often not practical with ground based platforms, and impossible in aerial applications. This paper examines the use of an autonomous unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) to gather high resolution hyperspectral imaging data of crops under natural illumination. A process of illumination compensation is performed to extract the inherent reflectance properties of the crops, despite variable illumination. This work adapts a previously developed subspace model approach to reflectance and illumination recovery. Though tested on a ground vehicle in this paper, it is applicable to low altitude unmanned aerial hyperspectral imagery also. The method uses occasional observations of reference panel training data from within the same or other datasets, which enables a practical field protocol that minimises in-field manual labour. This paper tests the new approach, comparing it against traditional methods. Several illumination compensation protocols for high volume ground based data collection are presented based on the results. The findings in this paper are

Full Text Available We report a case of mixed capillary venous hemangioma of the retroperitoneum in a 61-year-old man. Abdominal ultrasonography showed a mass to be hypoechoic with increased flow in color Doppler imaging. Dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed a centripetal filling-in of the mass, located anterior to the left psoas muscle at the level of sacroiliac joint. On the basis of imaging features, preoperative diagnosis of hemangioma was considered and the mass was excised by laparoscopic method. Immunohistochemical studies were strongly positive for CD31 and CD34, and negative for calretinin, EMA, WT1, HMB45, Ki67, synaptophysin, and lymphatic endothelial cell marker D2–40. Histologically, the neoplasm was diagnosed as mixed capillary venous hemangioma.

This paper presents illumination analyses using the latest Earth-based radar digital elevation model (DEM) of the lunar south pole and an independently developed analytical tool. These results enable the optimum sizing of solar/energy storage lunar surface power systems since they quantify the timing and durations of illuminated and shadowed periods. Filtering and manual editing of the DEM based on comparisons with independent imagery were performed and a reduced resolution version of the DEM was produced to reduce the analysis time. A comparison of the DEM with lunar limb imagery was performed in order to validate the absolute heights over the polar latitude range, the accuracy of which affects the impact of long range, shadow-casting terrain. Average illumination and energy storage duration maps of the south pole region are provided for the worst and best case lunar day using the reduced resolution DEM. Average illumination fractions and energy storage durations are presented for candidate low energy storage duration south pole sites. The best site identified using the reduced resolution DEM required a 62 hr energy storage duration using a fast recharge power system. Solar and horizon terrain elevations as well as illumination fraction profiles are presented for the best identified site and the data for both the reduced resolution and high resolution DEMs compared. High resolution maps for three low energy storage duration areas are presented showing energy storage duration for the worst case lunar day, surface height, and maximum absolute surface slope.

Analyte velocity modulation results when a sinusoidal AC voltage is superimposed onto the driving DC voltage. The principal motivation for the work has been exploration of voltage modulation as a technique is especially effective with excess noise limited detectors such as the refractive index detector. One advantage of an electrical modulation technique, over an optical one, is its applicability to all detection schemes. The mathematical theory of analyte velocity modulation is presented in this work. The main idea is that the superimposed AC field forces the electroosmotic flow profile to oscillate between laminar and plug flow at the modulation frequency. The changing profile induces a radial movement of sample species to and from the capillary surface. The induced sample concentration gradients can be monitored by carefully probing the capillary surface. The resulting signal is a derivative of the normal shaped peak. Derivative shaped peaks can be observed with cations, but not with anions. Anions are unable to approach the double layer region and therefore are unaffected by the modulation process. The results indicate that the double layer thickness in free solution capillary electrophoresis might be larger than the nominally calculated 3 nm. Analyte velocity modulation can be used as a variation of pulsed field electrophoresis in gel-filled capillaries. This technique provides superior resolution of DNA fragments and shortens their migration times. The authors demonstrate subpicogram detection limits for nucleic acids, with very high efficiencies. Theoretical plate numbers are in the range of 10[sup 5] to 10[sup 6]. They also demonstrate that sine wave modulation gives resolution similar to square wave modulation for frequencies between 10 and 100 Hz. Although a square wave contains high frequency harmonics, the authors show that in general its coupling to DNA motions is not always inferior to that of a sine wave.

Food authenticity is a term which simply refers to whether the food purchased by the consumer matches its description. False description can occur in many forms, from the undeclared addition of water or other cheaper materials, or the wrong declaration of the amount of a particular ingredient in the product, to making false statements about the source of ingredients i.e., their geographic, plant, or animal origin. The aim of this review is to summarize applications of capillary electrophoresis in food authentication.

An embodiment of the invention is directed to a capillary electrophoresis apparatus comprising a plurality of separation micro-channels. A sample loading channel communicates with each of the plurality of separation channels. A driver circuit comprising a plurality of electrodes is configured to induce an electric field across each of the plurality of separation channels sufficient to cause analytes in the samples to migrate along each of the channels. The system further comprises a plurality of detectors configured to detect the analytes.

Full Text Available With the implementation of platesetters in the offset printing plate making process, imaging of the printing plate became more stable and ensured increase of the printing plate quality. But as the chemical processing of the printing plates still highly influences the plate making process and the graphic reproduction workflow, development of printing plates that do not require chemical processing for offset printing technique has been one of the top interests in graphic technology in the last few years. The main reason for that came from the user experience, where majority of the problems with plate making process could be connected with the chemical processing of the printing plate. Furthermore, increased environmental standards lead to reducing of the chemicals used in the industrial processes. Considering these facts, different types of offset printing plates have been introduced to the market today. This paper presents some of the processless printing plates.

Fibrous media consisting of constrained flexible fibers can be found in many engineered systems (membranes in filters, woven textile, matted paper). When such materials interact with a liquid, the presence of liquid/air interfaces induces capillary forces that deform the fibers. To model this interaction we study the behaviour of a finite volume of liquid deposited on two parallel flexible fibers clamped at both ends. A tension along the fibers is imposed and may be varied. We show that the system undergoes various morphological changes as the interfiber distance, the elasticity and the tension of the fibers are varied. For a certain range of parameters, the liquid spreads along the fibers and pulls them together, leading to the ``zipping'' of the fibers. This capillary adhesion can then be enhanced or reduced by changing the tension within the fibers. We will show that balancing stretching and capillary forces allows the prediction of this transition as well as the conditions for which detachment of the fibers occurs. These results may be used to prevent the clogging of fibrous membranes or to optimize the capture of liquids.

Molecular recognition systems are developed via molecular modeling and synthesis to enhance separation performance in capillary electrophoresis and optical detection methods for capillary electrophoresis. The underpinning theme of our work is the rational design and development of molecular recognition systems in chemical separations and analysis. There have been, however, some subtle and exciting shifts in our research paradigm during this period. Specifically, we have moved from mostly separations research to a good balance between separations and spectroscopic detection for separations. This shift is based on our perception that the pressing research challenges and needs in capillary electrophoresis and electrokinetic chromatography relate to the persistent detection and flow rate reproducibility limitations of these techniques (see page 1 of the accompanying Renewal Application for further discussion). In most of our work molecular recognition reagents are employed to provide selectivity and enhance performance. Also, an emerging trend is the use of these reagents with specially-prepared nano-scale materials. Although not part of our DOE BES-supported work, the modeling and synthesis of new receptors has indirectly supported the development of novel microcantilevers-based MEMS for the sensing of vapor and liquid phase analytes. This fortuitous overlap is briefly covered in this report. Several of the more significant publications that have resulted from our work are appended. To facilitate brevity we refer to these publications liberally in this progress report. Reference is also made to very recent work in the Background and Preliminary Studies Section of the Renewal Application.

The role of surface tension and wettability in the dynamics of air-liquid interfaces during immiscible fluid displacement flows in capillary tube driven by pressure has been investigated. The contact angle and capillary number drive the force wetting processes which is controlled by the balance between the capillary and the viscous lubrication forces. The dynamic wetting condition with the critical capillary number is studied analytically and validated experimentally, which demonstrates that the critical capillary number is associated with the contact angle, slip length and capillary radius.

Full Text Available An explanatory computational model is developed of the contiguous areas of retinal capillary loss which play a large role in diabetic maculapathy and diabetic retinal neovascularization. Strictly random leukocyte mediated capillary occlusion cannot explain the occurrence of large contiguous areas of retinal ischemia. Therefore occlusion of an individual capillary must increase the probability of occlusion of surrounding capillaries. A retinal perifoveal vascular sector as well as a peripheral retinal capillary network and a deleted hexagonal capillary network are modelled using Compucell3D. The perifoveal modelling produces a pattern of spreading capillary loss with associated macular edema. In the peripheral network, spreading ischemia results from the progressive loss of the ladder capillaries which connect peripheral arterioles and venules. System blood flow was elevated in the macular model before a later reduction in flow in cases with progression of capillary occlusions. Simulations differing only in initial vascular network structures but with identical dynamics for oxygen, growth factors and vascular occlusions, replicate key clinical observations of ischemia and macular edema in the posterior pole and ischemia in the retinal periphery. The simulation results also seem consistent with quantitative data on macular blood flow and qualitative data on venous oxygenation. One computational model applied to distinct capillary networks in different retinal regions yielded results comparable to clinical observations in those regions.

Essential to sensory processing in the human visual system is natural illumination, which can vary considerably not only across space but also along the day depending on the atmospheric conditions and the sun's position in the sky. In this work, edges derived from the three postreceptoral Luminance, Red-Green, and Blue-Yellow signals were computed from hyperspectral images of natural scenes rendered with daylights of Correlated Color Temperatures (CCTs) from 2735 to 25,889 K; for low CCT, the same analysis was performed using Planckian illuminants up to 800 K. It was found that average luminance and chromatic edge contrasts were maximal for low correlated color temperatures and almost constants above 10,000 K. The magnitude of these contrast changes was, however, only about 2% across the tested daylights. Results suggest that the postreceptoral opponent and nonopponent color vision mechanisms produce almost constant responses for color edge detection under natural illumination.

The present disclosure relates to an illumination system for endoscopic applications comprising at least one substantially monochromatic light source having a predefined central wavelength between 400 and 500 nm or between 500 and 550 nm, an optical transmission path adapted to guide light...... emanating from the light source to an endoscopic region of examination, and an optical band-rejection filter, wherein the illumination system is adapted to illuminate at least a part of the region of examination by generating autofluorescence in surrounding tissue, and the band-rejection filter is adapted...... of a substantially monochromatic light source having a predefined central wavelength between 400 and 550 nm, means for guiding light from the substantially monochromatic light source towards at least a part of the tissue, and at least one band-rejection filter adapted to attenuate at least said central wavelength...

Quantum illumination consists in shining quantum light on a target region immersed in a bright thermal bath with the aim of detecting the presence of a possible low-reflective object. If the signal is entangled with the receiver, then a suitable choice of the measurement offers a gain with respect to the optimal classical protocol employing coherent states. Here, we tackle this detection problem by using quantum estimation techniques to measure the reflectivity parameter of the object, showing an enhancement in the signal-to-noise ratio up to 3 dB with respect to the classical case when implementing only local measurements. Our approach employs the quantum Fisher information to provide an upper bound for the error probability, supplies the concrete estimator saturating the bound, and extends the quantum illumination protocol to non-Gaussian states. As an example, we show how Schrödinger's cat states may be used for quantum illumination.

Problem to be adressed: Even with the implementation of the Eco-design directive (2005/32/EC) it is projected that the 20% energy reduction goal will not be reached in 2020. as a matter of fact, the electricity consumption in the illumination sector will not be changed from the levels of cosnsump......Problem to be adressed: Even with the implementation of the Eco-design directive (2005/32/EC) it is projected that the 20% energy reduction goal will not be reached in 2020. as a matter of fact, the electricity consumption in the illumination sector will not be changed from the levels...... of cosnsumption of 1990. To really get some savings, further improvements have to be done in the area of illumination systems. Our current research is aiming on fiinding- from an eco-designg perspective- precisly those alternative technological systems. Expected results: Withthe cooperation...

Fourier ptychography (FP) is a recently reported technique, for large field-of-view and high-resolution imaging. Specifically, FP captures a set of low-resolution images, under angularly varying illuminations, and stitches them together in the Fourier domain. One of FP's main disadvantages is its long capturing process, due to the requisite large number of incident illumination angles. In this Letter, utilizing the sparsity of natural images in the Fourier domain, we propose a highly efficient method, termed adaptive Fourier ptychography (AFP), which applies content adaptive illumination for FP, to capture the most informative parts of the scene's spatial spectrum. We validate the effectiveness and efficiency of the reported framework, with both simulated and real experiments. Results show that the proposed AFP could shorten the acquisition time of conventional FP, by around 30%-60%.

This book brings together experts in the field who present material on a number of important and growing topics including lighting, displays, solar concentrators. The first chapter provides an overview of the field of nonimagin and illumination optics. Included in this chapter are terminology, units, definitions, and descriptions of the optical components used in illumination systems. The next two chapters provide material within the theoretical domain, including etendue, etendue squeezing, and the skew invariant. The remaining chapters focus on growing applications. This entire field of

Visual sensing in arc welding has become more and more important, but still remains challenging because of the harsh environment with extremely strong illumination from the arc. This paper presents a low-cost camera-based sensor system, without using external Illumination, but nevertheless able...... to sense and model the weld pool. Central is a carefully selected optical filtering as well as an active contour-based tracking of the weld pool boundary. The system is able to extract the 2D shape of the weld pool in real time. The reported experiments show the feasibility of this approach....

A super-resolution technique based on structured illumination created by a liquid crystal on silicon spatial light modulator (LCOS-SLM) is presented. Single and simultaneous pairs of tilted beams are generated to illuminate a target object. Resolution enhancement of an optical 4f system is demonstrated by using numerical simulations. The resulting intensity images are recorded at a charged couple device (CCD) and stored in the computer memory for further processing. One dimension enhancement can be performed with only 15 images. Two dimensional complete improvement requires 153 different images. The resolution of the optical system is extended three times compared to the band limited system.

When a transparent plane-parallel plate is illuminated at a boundary region by a monochromatic parallel beam of light, Fresnel diffraction occurs because of the abrupt change in phase imposed by the finite change in refractive index at the plate boundary. The visibility of the diffraction fringes varies periodically with changes in incident angle. The visibility period depends on the plate thickness and the refractive indices of the plate and the surrounding medium. Plotting the phase change versus incident angle or counting the visibility repetition in an incident-angle interval provides, for a given plate thickness, the refractive index of the plate very accurately. It is shown here that the refractive index of a plate can be determined without knowing the plate thickness. Therefore, the technique can be utilized for measuring plate thickness with high precision. In addition, by installing a plate with known refractive index in a rectangular cell filled with a liquid and following the described procedures, the refractive index of the liquid is obtained. The technique is applied to measure the refractive indices of a glass slide, distilled water, and ethanol. The potential and merits of the technique are also discussed.

The method of caustics is a powerful experimental method in elasticity and particularly in fracture mechanics for crack problems. The related method of pseudocaustics is also of interest. Here we apply the computational method of quantifier elimination implemented in the computer algebra system Mathematica in order to determine (i) the non-parametric equation and two properties of the caustic at a crack tip and especially (ii) the illuminated and the dark regions related to caustics and pseudocaustics in plane elasticity and plate problems. The present computations concern: (i) The derivation of the non-parametric equation of the classical caustic about a crack tip through the elimination of the parameter involved (here the polar angle) as well as two geometrical properties of this caustic. (ii) The derivation of the inequalities defining the illuminated region on the screen in the problem of an elastic half-plane loaded normally by a concentrated load with the boundary of this illuminated region related to some extent to the caustic formed. (iii) Similarly for the problem of a clamped circular plate under a uniform loading with respect to the caustic and the pseudocaustic formed. (iv) Analogously for the problem of an equilateral triangular plate loaded by uniformly distributed moments along its whole boundary, which defines the related pseudocaustic. (v) The determination of quantities of interest in mechanics from the obtained caustics or pseudocaustics. The kind of computations in the applications (ii) to (iv), i.e. the derivation of inequalities defining the illuminated region on the screen, seems to be completely new independently of the use here of the method of quantifier elimination. Additional applications are also possible, but some of them require the expansion of the present somewhat limited power of the quantifier elimination algorithms in Mathematica. This is expected to take place in the future.

China Illuminating Engineering Journal,which wasfirst publishedinthe year1987,is a nationwide academic magazine sponsored by ChinaIlluminating Engineering Society(CIES).The goal ofChina IlluminatingEngineering Journalis to demonstrate the most advanced R&Dactivities ofilluminating science,the domestic and international state-of-the-art in thefield of illuminating engineering and the academic activities of Committee ofIlluminating Engineering(CIE)as well as other international illuminatingorganizations;relea...

The overall goal of this program was to develop capillary electrophoresis as the tool to be used to sequence for the first time the Human Genome. Our program was part of the Human Genome Project. In this work, we were highly successful and the replaceable polymer we developed, linear polyacrylamide, was used by the DOE sequencing lab in California to sequence a significant portion of the human genome using the MegaBase multiple capillary array electrophoresis instrument. In this final report, we summarize our efforts and success. We began our work by separating by capillary electrophoresis double strand oligonucleotides using cross-linked polyacrylamide gels in fused silica capillaries. This work showed the potential of the methodology. However, preparation of such cross-linked gel capillaries was difficult with poor reproducibility, and even more important, the columns were not very stable. We improved stability by using non-cross linked linear polyacrylamide. Here, the entangled linear chains could move when osmotic pressure (e.g. sample injection) was imposed on the polymer matrix. This relaxation of the polymer dissipated the stress in the column. Our next advance was to use significantly lower concentrations of the linear polyacrylamide that the polymer could be automatically blown out after each run and replaced with fresh linear polymer solution. In this way, a new column was available for each analytical run. Finally, while testing many linear polymers, we selected linear polyacrylamide as the best matrix as it was the most hydrophilic polymer available. Under our DOE program, we demonstrated initially the success of the linear polyacrylamide to separate double strand DNA. We note that the method is used even today to assay purity of double stranded DNA fragments. Our focus, of course, was on the separation of single stranded DNA for sequencing purposes. In one paper, we demonstrated the success of our approach in sequencing up to 500 bases. Other

To improve laser irradiation uniformity, experimental research on smoothing by spectral dispersion （SSD） and continuous phase plate （CPP） is carried out on the technical integration line （TIL）. A bulk phase modulator with 9.2 GHz modulation frequency is adopted. The output spectrum of the phase modulator is stable and the residual amplitude modulation is quite small. The experimental results indicate that when the number of color cycles （No） is adopted to be 1, imposing of SSD in this divergence does not lead to pinhole closure in the spatial filters of the preamplifier and main amplifier. The contrast of the focal spot with 95% energy included with SSD and CPP drops to 0.47 compared with 1.71 without SSD and CPP. When the pulse width of the third harmonic wave is 1 ns and its energy is 1115 J, no damage is found in CPP and other final optics. The experiment solves some key techniques by using SSD and CPP on high-power laser facilities, and provides sound basis for the upcoming physics experiment.%为了改善高功率激光装置的靶面辐照均匀性,在神光-Ⅲ原型装置的一路光上开展了结合光谱色散平滑（SSD）和连续相位板（CPP）的高通量实验研究.实验基于调制频率9.2 GHz的体相位调制器开展,输出的相位调制脉冲光谱展宽稳定,脉冲波形顶部剩余调制很小.结果表明SSD色循环数为1时预放和主放各级空间滤波器过孔顺利,包含焦斑95%能量的通量对比度由窄带时的1.71下降到加SSD和CPP时的0.47.三倍频光脉宽1 ns,能量1115 J时,CPP和终端光学组件元件未见损伤.通过实验解决了在高功率激光装置上采用SSD和CPP进行靶面均匀辐照的若干关键技术,为将其应用于物理实验奠定了坚实基础.

The possibility of using tapered or parabolic capillaries for measurement of liquid viscosities is investigated both experimentally and theoretically. It is demonstrated that even small deviations in capillary radius from a constant value may substantially affect measurement results. Equations are derived which allow correct analysis of the measurement results in tapered or parabolic capillaries. The following cases are analyzed: a water imbibition into a tapered or parabolic capillary and displacement of one liquid by another immiscible liquid in tapered or parabolic capillaries. Two possibilities are considered: (a) the narrow end of the capillary as capillary inlet and (b) the wide end of the capillary as capillary inlet. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

The selenium species in nutritional supplement tablets, based on selenized yeast, were separated by capillary zone electrophoresis using capillaries coated dynamically with poly(vinyl sulfonate) and detected by ICP-MS. Sample pre-treatment consisted of cold-water extraction by sonication and subs......The selenium species in nutritional supplement tablets, based on selenized yeast, were separated by capillary zone electrophoresis using capillaries coated dynamically with poly(vinyl sulfonate) and detected by ICP-MS. Sample pre-treatment consisted of cold-water extraction by sonication......-water extract within 13 min. The efficiency of the system corresponded to 620 000 theoretical plates. When spiking the sample with available standards, co-migration was observed with selenomethionine and selenocystine-Se-methylselenocysteine-the latter species were not separated. When the cold-water extract...

A new conductivity detector for capillary electrophoresis consisting of an electrochemical cell and a conductive meter was developed. In the cell, the microelectrode and capillary were inserted through the cell wall and fixed by screws and sealing ring, the ends of microelectrode and capillary were located by a guide with two cross holes. LOD for K+ was 1.5×10-5 mol/L.

The ancient religious system of Gnosticism argued for the transcendence of the physical world and the divinity of self-knowledge. More recently, a similar argument was made by Carl Jung through his concept of individuation. This paper examines some of the similarities between Gnostic inner illumination and Jung's concept of individuation.

This work aims to guide in the correct choice and usage of the adequate public illumination equipment. It also aims to help the public authorities in terms of the best economical and technical choice, as well as the adequate maintenance of the equipment in order to obtain the most efficiency and safety with minimum costs 22 figs., 11 tabs.

Agriculture in both terrestrial and space-controlled environments relies heavily on artificial illumination for efficient photosynthesis. Plant-growth illumination systems require high photon flux in the spectral range corresponding with plant photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) (400 700 nm), high spatial uniformity to promote uniform growth, and high energy efficiency to minimize electricity usage. The proposed plant-growth system takes advantage of the highly diffuse reflective surfaces on the interior of a sphere, hemisphere, or other nearly enclosed structure that is coated with highly reflective materials. This type of surface and structure uniformly mixes discrete light sources to produce highly uniform illumination. Multiple reflections from within the domelike structures are exploited to obtain diffuse illumination, which promotes the efficient reuse of photons that have not yet been absorbed by plants. The highly reflective surfaces encourage only the plant tissue (placed inside the sphere or enclosure) to absorb the light. Discrete light sources, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), are typically used because of their high efficiency, wavelength selection, and electronically dimmable properties. The light sources are arranged to minimize shadowing and to improve uniformity. Different wavelengths of LEDs (typically blue, green, and red) are used for photosynthesis. Wavelengths outside the PAR range can be added for plant diagnostics or for growth regulation

Full Text Available Abstract Background Low levels of light exposure at critical times are thought to cause seasonal affective disorder. Investigators, in studies demonstrating the usefulness of bright light therapy, also have implicated light's role in non-seasonal depression. The precise cause of postpartum depression has not been delineated, but it seemed possible that new mothers would spend reduced time in daylight. The goal of this study was to examine the levels of illumination experienced by postpartum mothers and to discover any relationship between light exposure and mood levels experienced during the postpartum period. Methods Fifteen postpartum women, who did not have any baseline indication of depression, wore a wrist device (Actillume for 72 hours to measure their exposure to light. At the end of the recording period, they completed a self-reported measure of mood. The mean light exposure of these postpartum women (expressed as the 24-hour average logarithm of illumination in lux was compared with that of a representative sample of women of comparable age, residence, and seasonal months of recording. Mood levels were then rank-ordered and tested for correlation with light exposure levels. Results There was no significant difference between the amount of light [log10lux] experienced by postpartum (1.01 SD 0.236 and control women (1.06 SD 0.285. Mood was not correlated with illumination in the postpartum sample. Conclusions Postpartum women in San Diego did not receive reduced light, nor was low mood related to low illumination.

The possibility to observe microsecond dynamics at the sub-micron scale, opened by recent technological advances in fast camera sensors, will affect many biophysical studies based on particle tracking in optical microscopy. A main limiting factor for further development of fast video microscopy remains the illumination of the sample, which must deliver sufficient light to the camera to allow microsecond exposure times. Here we systematically compare the main illumination systems employed in holographic tracking microscopy, and we show that a superluminescent diode and a modulated laser diode perform the best in terms of image quality and acquisition speed, respectively. In particular, we show that the simple and inexpensive laser illumination enables less than 1 μs camera exposure time at high magnification on a large field of view without coherence image artifacts, together with a good hologram quality that allows nm-tracking of microscopic beads to be performed. This comparison of sources can guide in choosing the most efficient illumination system with respect to the specific application.

Full Text Available The possibility to observe microsecond dynamics at the sub-micron scale, opened by recent technological advances in fast camera sensors, will affect many biophysical studies based on particle tracking in optical microscopy. A main limiting factor for further development of fast video microscopy remains the illumination of the sample, which must deliver sufficient light to the camera to allow microsecond exposure times. Here we systematically compare the main illumination systems employed in holographic tracking microscopy, and we show that a superluminescent diode and a modulated laser diode perform the best in terms of image quality and acquisition speed, respectively. In particular, we show that the simple and inexpensive laser illumination enables less than 1 μs camera exposure time at high magnification on a large field of view without coherence image artifacts, together with a good hologram quality that allows nm-tracking of microscopic beads to be performed. This comparison of sources can guide in choosing the most efficient illumination system with respect to the specific application.

We compare two recently developed multiple-frame deconvolution approaches for the reconstruction of structured illumination microscopy (SIM) data: the pattern-illuminated Fourier ptychography algorithm (piFP) and the joint Richardson-Lucy deconvolution (jRL). The quality of the images reconstructed by these methods is compared in terms of the achieved resolution improvement, noise enhancement, and inherent artifacts. Furthermore, we study the issue of object-dependent resolution improvement by considering the modulation transfer functions derived from different types of objects. The performance of the considered methods is tested in experiments and benchmarked with a commercial SIM microscope. We find that the piFP method resolves periodic and isolated structures equally well, whereas the jRL method provides significantly higher resolution for isolated objects compared to periodic ones. Images reconstructed by the piFP and jRL algorithms are comparable to the images reconstructed using the generalized Wiener filter applied in most commercial SIM microscopes. An advantage of the discussed algorithms is that they allow the reconstruction of SIM images acquired under different types of illumination, such as multi-spot or random illumination.

In illumination systems the look and feel are often more important than objective criterion, such as uniformity and efficiency. The reason for this is two fold: the lit appearance often sells an item and substantial variation in the illumination distribution (up to 50%) over a broad region is not noticeable to an observer. Therefore, subjective criterion, such as the lit appearance, typically plays a crucial role in the development of an illumination system. Additionally, by using computer models to ascertain the lit appearance before manufacture of the system, it allows the designer to modify the system while not demanding investment to produce prototypes. I discuss methods of determining the lit appearance for illumination systems. This modeling includes the inclusion of material and surface properties, such as surface finish, spectral transmission, and internal scattering; the response of the human eye; and the amount of rays that must be traced. By archiving the ray data, animations as a function of position and angle can be developed. Examples are developed to highlight the utility of this technique. These examples include taillights for the automotive industry and a backlit LCD screen for a laptop. Animations of these models demonstrate their luminance.

Capillaries of 7 and 12.5 mu diameter have been fabricated in silicone rubber. Whole blood treated with heparin has been perfused through these capillaries. Under flowing conditions, no clotting or other clumping effects have been observed and red cells appear to maintain a constant velocity. Oxygen transfer data to and from saline perfusing the 12.5 mu diameter capillaries have been obtained in order to determine how rapidly O2 will permeate the silicone rubber film. The data indicate that the capillaries simulate lung tissue oxygen exchange and will allow for the first time the experimental determination of oxygen exchange kinetics in flowing whole blood.

Capillary and capillary-gravity waves possess a random character, and the slope wavenumber spectra of them can be used to represent mean distributions of wave energy with respect to spatial scale of variability. But simple and practical models of the slope wavenumber spectra have not been put forward so far. In this article, we address the accurate definition of the slope wavenumber spectra of water surface capillary and capillary-gravity waves. By combining the existing slope wavenumber models and using th...

Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanostructures have potential applications in nano-electro-mechanical systems (NEMS) due to their unique physical properties. ZnO is also an excellent lubricant and hence a promising candidate for protective coatings in NEMS. By means of atomic force microscopy (AFM), we have investigated the frictional properties of ZnO thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition technique. In addition, UV illumination is used to convert the surface wettability of ZnO thin films from being more hydrophobic to superhydrophilic via the photo-catalyst effect. We found that the frictional properties of the UV illuminated, superhydrophilic ZnO surface are strongly dependent on the environment humidity. While for hydrophobic ZnO, no such dependence is found. The observed frictional behaviors can be explained by the interplay between the surface roughness, environmental humidity and the presence of nanoscale capillary condensation forming between surface asperities at the tip-ZnO contact. Our results might find applications in future ZnO related NEMS. Frictional Properties of UV illuminated ZnO Thin Films Grown by Pulsed Laser Deposition.

Daylight Illumination-Color-Contrast Tables for Full-form Objects is the result of a major computational project concerning the illumination, color, and contrast conditions in naturally illuminated objects. The project from which this two-chapter book is derived is originally conceived in support of the various remote sensing and image processing activities of the Deutsche Forschungs- und Versuchsanstalt für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Oberpfaffenhofen, West Germany DFVLR, in particular, those depending on the quantitative photometric and colorimetric evaluation of photographs and other environmental

A wetting droplet trapped in the thin gap between two elastic bodies will deflect the bodies towards one another. The deformation increases the total capillary adhesion force by increasing the contact radius and narrowing the gap height. For flat droplets, with a large ratio of radius to gap height, the Laplace pressure causes surface deformations that are orders of magnitude larger than those induced by a sessile droplet of the same radius. We present experiments, scalings, and closed-form solutions that describe the deformation. Using variational techniques, we also show that the problem exhibits a bifurcation, where the gap spontaneously closes due to an incremental increase in drop volume.

This book is designed to be a practical guide, used by wide audience, including those new to CE, those more experienced, routine users, those interested in technology development, and those involved with applications research. References have been emphasized to allow the reader to explore the detailed specifics and theoretical foundations.This book draws together the rapidly evolving, diverse, and multidisciplinary subject of capillary electrophoresis (CE). It is designed as a practical guide to be used by a wide audience, including those new to CE as well as more experienced users. T

In a previous paper (S. Ghosal and Z. Chen Bull. Math. Biol. 2010, vol. 72, pg. 2047) it was shown that the evolution of the solute concentration in capillary electrophoresis is described by a nonlinear wave equation that reduced to Burger's equation if the nonlinearity was weak. It was assumed that only strong electrolytes (fully dissociated) were present. In the present paper it is shown that the same governing equation also describes the situation where the electrolytic buffer consists of a single weak acid (or base). A simple approximate formula is derived for the dimensionless peak variance which is shown to agree well with published experimental data.

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In this contribution we discuss the possibility of designing a modified transmission X-ray microscope by using fractal zone plates (Fzps) as diffractive optical elements. In the modified transmission X-ray microscope optical layout, we first introduced a fractal zone plate as the microscope objective. Indeed, a fractal zone plate cannot only be used as an image-forming component but also as a condenser element to achieve an extended depth of field. Numerical analysis reveals that fractal zone plates and conventional Fresnel zone plates have similar imaging capabilities under different coherent illumination. Using a fractal zone plate as a condenser we also simulated axial irradiance. Results confirm that fractal zone plates can improve focusing capability with an extended depth of field. Although preliminary, these simulations clearly reveal that fractal zone plates, when available, will be of great help in microscope layouts, in particular for foreseen high-resolution applications in the "water window" as strongly required in biological research.

The first use of plasma polymerization technique to modify the surface of a glass chip for capillary isoelectric focusing (cIEF) of different proteins is reported. The electrophoresis separation channel was machined in Tempax glass chips with length 70 mm, 300 microm width and 100 microm depth. Acetonitrile and hexamethyldisiloxane monomers were used for plasma polymerization. In each case 100 nm plasma polymer films were coated onto the chip surface to reduce protein wall adsorption and minimize the electroosmotic flow. Applied voltages of 1000 V, 2000 V and 3000 V were used to separate mixtures of cytochrome c (pI 9.6), hemoglobin (pI 7.0) and phycocyanin (pI 4.65). Reproducible isoelectric focusing of each pI marker protein was observed in different coated capillaries at increasing concentration 2.22-5 microg microL(-1). Modification of the glass capillary with hydrophobic HMDS plasma polymerized films enabled rapid cIEF within 3 min. The separation efficiency of cytochrome c and phycocyanin in both acrylamide and HMDS coated capillaries corresponded to a plate number of 19600 which compares favourably with capillary electrophoresis of neurotransmitters with amperometric detection.

A new procedure for the preparation of thick polymethacrylate films bonded in 25 {mu}m i.d. fused-silica capillaries is developed. The etched silica surface is first modified with an unsaturated organosilane, which is later incorporated into the polymer film. The capillary is then filled with a monomer solution, and polymerization is initiated by incubation at elevated temperature. This thermoinitiation method enables the use of ordinary polyimide-jacketed capillaries in preparing the columns. The effect of monomer concentration on the resulting polymer film was studied by open tubular capillary electrokinetic chromatography using p-hydroxybenzoates (parabens) as test solutes. Good separations were achieved using short capillaries. Run-to-run retention time reproducibility was excellent, with RSDs of 2% (n = 50) being representative. For the linear polymer films produced, retention of analytes increased as the monomer concentration increased to a certain value, at which point the capacity factors level off with further increases in monomer concentration. The electroosmotic flow velocity decreases with increasing monomer concentration. The efficiency for an unretained test probe (acetone) reaches 270 000 plates/m. 13 refs., 10 figs., 1 tab.

We apply the capillary beam-focusing method for the C60 fullerene projectiles in the velocity range between 0.14 and 0.2 a.u. We study the C60 transmission properties through two different types of capillaries: (1) borosilicate glass microcapillary with an outlet diameter of 5.5 μm, and (2) Al2O3 multi-capillary foil with a pore size of about 70 nm and a high aspect ratio of about 750. We measured the transmitted particle composition by using the electrostatic deflection method combined with the microchannel plate imaging technique. For the experiments with the single microcapillary, the main transmission component is found to be primary C60 beams that are focused in the area equal to the capillary outlet diameter. Minor components are charge-exchanged C60 ions and charged or neutral fragments (fullerene-like C60-2m and small Cn particles), and their fractions decrease with decreasing the projectile velocity. It is concluded that the C60 transmission fraction is considerably high for both types of the capillaries in the present velocity range.

We apply the capillary beam-focusing method for the C{sub 60} fullerene projectiles in the velocity range between 0.14 and 0.2 a.u. We study the C{sub 60} transmission properties through two different types of capillaries: (1) borosilicate glass microcapillary with an outlet diameter of 5.5 μm, and (2) Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} multi-capillary foil with a pore size of about 70 nm and a high aspect ratio of about 750. We measured the transmitted particle composition by using the electrostatic deflection method combined with the microchannel plate imaging technique. For the experiments with the single microcapillary, the main transmission component is found to be primary C{sub 60} beams that are focused in the area equal to the capillary outlet diameter. Minor components are charge-exchanged C{sub 60} ions and charged or neutral fragments (fullerene-like C{sub 60-2m} and small C{sub n} particles), and their fractions decrease with decreasing the projectile velocity. It is concluded that the C{sub 60} transmission fraction is considerably high for both types of the capillaries in the present velocity range.

The concept of a stressed elastic lithospheric plate riding on a viscous asthenosphere is used to calculate the recurrence interval of great earthquakes at convergent plate boundaries, the separation of decoupling and lithospheric earthquakes, and the migration pattern of large earthquakes along an arc. It is proposed that plate motions accelerate after great decoupling earthquakes and that most of the observed plate motions occur during short periods of time, separated by periods of relative quiescence.

An ammonia capillary pumped loop (CPL) test facility has been designed, fabricated, subject to acceptance tests, and assembled at Phillips Laboratory. Its intent is to support a wide range of Air Force programs, bringing CPL technology to flight readiness for operational systems. The facility provides a high degree of modularity and flexibility with several heating and cooling options, and capability for elevation (+/- 15 in.), tilt (+/-60°) and transport length variation. It has a 182 by 44 by 84 inch envelope, an expected heat load capability of 2500 W, and a temperature range of 0 to 50 °C. The evaporator section has two plates with four capillary pumps (CPs) each, with a starter pump on one plate. The CPs are 5/8 in., with TAG aluminum 6063-T6 casing and UHMW polyethylene wicks. The active lengths are 15 and 30 inch with both 10 and 15 micron wicks. The individual CPs have thermal and hydraulic isolation capability, and are removable. The transport section consists of stainless steel lines in a serpentine configuration, a 216 in3 free volume reservoir, and a mechanical pump. The vapor transport line contains a capillary device (which can be bypassed) for vapor blockage during startup. The condenser consists of two separately valved, parallel cold plates each with a downstream noncondensible gas trap. Cooling of up to 1500 W at -50 °C is provided by an FTS Systems chiller using Flourinert FC-72. An enclosure/exhaust system is provided for safety and emergency venting of ammonia. An ammonia charge station performs or supports the functions of proof pressure, flushing with ammonia, purging with gaseous nitrogen, evacuation of all or part of the CPL to 20 microns, and charging. Instrumentation consists of over 116 thermocouples, five of which are internal; one absolute and six differential pressure transducers; eleven watt transducers, and a reservoir load cell. The data acquisition system consists of a temperature scanner, Bernoulli drive, and two Macintosh

While ptychography is an algorithm based on coherent illumination, the satisfactory reconstructions can still be gen-erated in most of experiments though the radiation sources used are not ideally coherent. The underlying physics of this phenomenon is that the diffraction patterns of partially coherent illumination can be treated as those of purely coherent illumination by altering the intensities of the diffracted beams relative to their real values. On the other hand, due to the inconsistency in the altering interference among all the diffraction beams, the noise/distortion is always involved in the reconstructed images. Furthermore, for a weak object, the noise/distortion in the reconstruction can be mostly reduced by using highly curved beam for illumination in the data recording and forcing the dark field diffraction to be zero in the reconstruction.

The observed counting rates of microchannel plate (MCP) based detectors for high resolution observations of celestial EUV and X-ray sources vary over many orders of magnitude; the counting capability of an individual channel, however, is not high, and is associated with dead-times ranging from 0.1 msec to 1 sec. The dead-time increases with the area illuminated; attention is presently given to laboratory determinations of the count rate characteristics of a MCP detector as a function of illuminated area, and a model is developed for these results' use in the interpretation of space observations.

Mixed fluid phenomena in porous media have profound implications on soil-atmosphere interaction, energy geotechnology, environmental engineering and infrastructure design. Surface tension varies with pressure, temperature, solute concentration, and surfactant concentration; on the other hand, the contact angle responds to interfacial tensions, surface topography, invasion velocity, and chemical interactions. Interfaces are not isolated but interact through the fluid pressure and respond to external fields. Jumps, snap-offs and percolating wetting liquids along edges and crevices are ubiquitous in real, non-cylindrical porous networks. Pore- and macroscale instabilities together with pore structure variability-and-correlation favor fluid trapping and hinder recovery efficiency. The saturation-pressure characteristic curve is affected by the saturation-history, flow-rate, the mechanical response of the porous medium, and time-dependent reactive and diffusive processes; in addition, there are salient differences between unsaturation by internal gas nucleation and gas invasion. Capillary forces add to other skeletal forces in the porous medium and can generate open-mode discontinuities when the capillary entry pressure is high relative to the effective stress. Time emerges as an important variable in mixed-fluid conditions and common quasi-static analyses may fail to capture the system response.

Lithography based on scanning probe microscopic techniques has considerable potential for accurate & localized deposition of material on the nanometer scale. Controlled deposition of metallic features with high purity and spatial accuracy is of great interest for circuit edit applications in the semiconductor industry, for plasmonics & nanophotonics and for basic research in surface enhanced Raman scattering & nanobiophysics. Within the context of metal deposition we will review the development of fountain pen nanochemistry and its most recent emulation Atomic Force Controlled Capillary Electrophoresis (ACCE). Using this latter development we will demonstrate achievement of unprecedented control of nanoparticle deposition using a three-electrode geometry. Three electrodes are attached: one on the outside of a metal coated glass probe, one on the inside of a hollow probe in a solution containing Au nanoparticles in the capillary, and a third on the surface where the writing takes place. The three electrodes provide electrical pulses for accurate control of deposition and retraction of the liquid from the surface overcoming the lack of control seen in both dip pen lithography & fountain pen nanochemistry when the tip contacts the surface. With this development, we demonstrate depositing a single 1.3 nm Au nanoparticle onto surfaces such as semiconductors.

Most of the plate boundaries are activated obliquely with respect to the direction of far field stresses, as roughly only 8% of the plate boundaries total length shows a very low obliquity (ranging from 0 to 10°, sub-orthogonal to the plate displacement). The obliquity along plate boundaries is controlled by (i) lateral rheological variations within the lithosphere and (ii) consistency with the global plate circuit. Indeed, plate tectonics and magmatism drive rheological changes within the lithosphere and consequently influence strain localization. Geodynamical evolution controls large-scale mantle convection and plate formation, consumption, and re-organization, thus triggering plate kinematics variations, and the adjustment and re-orientation of far field stresses. These geological processes may thus result in plate boundaries that are not perpendicular but oblique to the direction of far field stresses. This paper reviews the global patterns of obliquity along plate boundaries. Using GPlate, we provide a statistical analysis of present-day obliquity along plate boundaries. Within this framework, by comparing natural examples and geological models, we discuss deformation patterns and kinematics recorded along oblique plate boundaries.

Full Text Available Illumination normalization of face image for face recognition and facial expression recognition is one of the most frequent and difficult problems in image processing. In order to obtain a face image with normal illumination, our method firstly divides the input face image into sixteen local regions and calculates the edge level percentage in each of them. Secondly, three local regions, which meet the requirements of lower complexity and larger average gray value, are selected to calculate the final illuminant direction according to the error function between the measured intensity and the calculated intensity, and the constraint function for an infinite light source model. After knowing the final illuminant direction of the input face image, the Retinex algorithm is improved from two aspects: (1 we optimize the surround function; (2 we intercept the values in both ends of histogram of face image, determine the range of gray levels, and stretch the range of gray levels into the dynamic range of display device. Finally, we achieve illumination normalization and get the final face image. Unlike previous illumination normalization approaches, the method proposed in this paper does not require any training step or any knowledge of 3D face and reflective surface model. The experimental results using extended Yale face database B and CMU-PIE show that our method achieves better normalization effect comparing with the existing techniques.

Circumferentially grooved capillary pumps have been successfully tested at several operational conditions. Tests carried out in the capillary pumped mode have indicated heat fluxes up to 12 kW/m{sup 2}, using Freon 11 as the working fluid. According to a mathematical model, the estimated values have indicated good agreement with measured powers. particularly, the ability in repriming is an important advantage over other type of capillary pumps. In case of dry-out, there is no need to turn off the loop, nor to increase the pressure in the reservoir, nor to inject sub-cooling liquid into the evaporator cold plate. (author)

Originally applied to the accurate, passive positioning of submillimetric devices, recent works proved capillary self-alignment as effective also for larger components and relatively large initial offsets. In this paper, we describe an analytic quasi-static model of 1D capillary restoring forces tha

Glass capillaries with a chemically sensitive coating on the inner surface are used as optical sensors for medical diagnostics. The capillary simultaneously serves as a sample compartment, a sensor element, and an inhomogeneous optical waveguide. Different optical setups have been investigated and compared regarding its waveguiding properties.

Phase separation in a capillary tube with one of the phases fully wetting the capillary wall is arrested when the typical size of the phase domains reaches the value of the diameter of the tube. The arrested state consists of an alternating sequence of concave-capped and convex-capped cylindrical

A sheathless interface for coupling capillary electrophoresis (CE) with mass spectrometry is disclosed. The sheathless interface includes a separation capillary for performing CE separation and an emitter capillary for electrospray ionization. A portion of the emitter capillary is porous or, alternatively, is coated to form an electrically conductive surface. A section of the emitter capillary is disposed within the separation capillary, forming a joint. A metal tube, containing a conductive liquid, encloses the joint.

With unique 3-D architecture, the application of core-based hyperbranched polyethyleneimine (CHPEI), as a capillary coating in capillary electrophoresis, is demonstrated by manipulation of the electroosmotic mobility (EOF). CHPEI coatings (CHPEI5, M(w) approximately 5000 and CHPEI25, M(w) approximately 25,000) were physically adsorbed onto the inner surface of bare fused-silica capillary (BFS) via electrostatic interaction of the oppositely charged molecules by rinsing the capillaries with different CHPEI aqueous solutions. The EOF values of the coated capillaries were measured over the pH range of 4.0-9.0. At higher pH (pH >6) the coated capillary surface possesses excess negative charges, which causes the reversal of the EOF. The magnitudes of the EOF obtained from the coated capillaries were three-fold lower than that of BFS capillary. Desirable reproducibility of the EOF with % RSD (n = 5) capillaries were successfully utilized to separate phenolic compounds, B vitamins, as well as basic drugs and related compounds with reasonable analysis time (capillary and capillary).

Full Text Available Optical microscopy allows us to observe the biological structures and processes within living cells. However, the spatial resolution of the optical microscopy is limited to about half of the wavelength by the light diffraction. Structured illumination microscopy (SIM, a type of new emerging super-resolution microscopy, doubles the spatial resolution by illuminating the specimen with a patterned light, and the sample and light source requirements of SIM are not as strict as the other super-resolution microscopy. In addition, SIM is easier to combine with the other imaging techniques to improve their imaging resolution, leading to the developments of diverse types of SIM. SIM has great potential to meet the various requirements of living cells imaging. Here, we review the recent developments of SIM and its combination with other imaging techniques.

In future space missions, free electron lasers (FEL) may be used to illuminate photovoltaic receivers to provide remote power. Both the radio-frequency (RF) and induction FEL produce pulsed rather than continuous output. In this work we investigate cell response to pulsed laser light which simulates the RF FEL format. The results indicate that if the pulse repetition is high, cell efficiencies are only slightly reduced compared to constant illumination at the same wavelength. The frequency response of the cells is weak, with both voltage and current outputs essentially dc in nature. Comparison with previous experiments indicates that the RF FEL pulse format yields more efficient photovoltaic conversion than does an induction FEL format.

The surface of an insulator under vacuum and under electrical charge will flashover when illuminated by a critical dose of ultra-violet (UV) radiation - depending on the insulator size and material, insulator cone angle, the applied voltage and insulator shot-history. A testbed comprised of an excimer laser (KrF, 248 nm, {approx}16 MW, 30 ns FWHM,), a vacuum chamber, and a negative polarity dc high voltage power supply ({le} -60 kV) were assembled to test 1.0 cm thick angled insulators for surface-flashover. Several candidate insulator materials, e.g. High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Rexolite{reg_sign} 1400, Macor{trademark} and Mycalex, of varying cone angles were tested against UV illumination. Commercial energy meters were used to measure the UV fluence of the pulsed laser beam. In-house designed and fabricated capacitive probes (D-dots, >12 GHz bandwidth) were embedded in the anode electrode underneath the insulator to determine the time of UV arrival and time of flashover. Of the tested insulators, the +45 degree Rexolite insulator showed more resistance to UV for surface flashover; at UV fluence level of less than 13 mJ/cm{sup 2}, it was not possible to induce a flashover for up to -60 kV of DC potential across the insulator's surface. The probes also permitted the electrical charge on the insulator before and after flashover to be inferred. Photon to electron conversion efficiency for the surface of Rexolite insulator was determined from charge-balance equation. In order to understand the physical mechanism leading to flashover, we further experimented with the +45 degree Rexolite insulator by masking portions of the UV beam to illuminate only a section of the insulator surface; (1) the half nearest the cathode and subsequently, (2) the half nearest the anode. The critical UV fluence and time to flashover were measured and the results in each case were then compared with the base case of full-beam illumination. It was discovered that the time for the

Full Text Available Electric power supply in many cities in developing countries is erratic and can only be described as non-existent in the rural areas. Kerosene lantern, the main source of illuminating the night is associated with obnoxious fumes production and more especially the kerosene fuel is scarce to find. Rural dwellers who cannot afford the globed kerosene lanterns either use the locally fabricated globeless kerosene lanterns, ―atunja‖ or log fire. Log fire is associated with deforestation and desert encroachment. A solar lantern has been designed and built for illuminating the nights in rural communities. Battery and LED are part of the components used and it is recommended that appropriate safety measures are put in place not only in use but also in their disposal.

One or more disc-shaped angular shear plates each include a region thereon having a thickness that varies with a nonlinear function. For the case of two such shear plates, they are positioned in a facing relationship and rotated relative to each other. Light passing through the variable thickness regions in the angular plates is refracted. By properly timing the relative rotation of the plates and by the use of an appropriate polynomial function for the thickness of the shear plate, light passing therethrough can be focused at variable positions.

This paper presents an image-based algorithm for simulating the visual adaptation of the human visual system to various illuminations,especially in dark nighttime conditions.The human visual system exhibits different characteristics depending on the illumination intensity,with photopic vision in bright conditions,scotopic vision in dark conditions,and mesopic vision between these two.A computational model is designed to simulate multiple features of mesopic vision and scotopic vision,including the chromaticity change,luminance change,and visual acuity loss.The system uses a source image under bright illumination as input.Then assuming that the viewer has already adapted to the new conditions,the color spectrum of the input image is reconstructed to replace the source with modifications of the chromaticity and the luminance of the relighted scene.A bilateral filter is used to simulate the visual acuity loss.The model parameters have clear physical meanings and can be obtained from experimental data to achieve realistic results.The algorithm can be used not only for visual perception simulation,but also as a day-for-night tool to produce realistic nighttime images from daytime images.

Meningioma cell cultures were prepared from frozen cell samples in 96 wells culture plates. Semiconductor light sources (LED) in seven different wavelength ranges were used to illuminate the wells, three different irradiation doses were selected per LED. Control cultures using three different concentrations of FBS were processed for comparison. Cell proliferation, viability, and cytotoxicity were measured every 24 hours for 6 days, using the XTT colorimetric assay (RocheR). None of the irradiated cultures exhibit cytotoxicity; but some of them exhibit proliferation inhibition. The larger proliferation was detected at a 0.05J/cm2 dose, for all LEDs; but for the orange and violet LEDs generated the bigger proliferation rate was measured. Results show the improvement of meningioma cell proliferation using illumination in some given wavelength ranges.

Photopolymerized sol-gel(PSG) columns were prepared using methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane as the monomer,toluene as the porogen and hydrochloric acid as the catalyst. Four different photoinitiators such as benzoin methyl ether, Irgacure 819,lrgacure 1700 and Irgacure 1800 were comparatively used in the reaction solution in the presence and absence of sodium dodecylsulfate. The above eight solutions were respectively irradiated at 365 um for 5-10 min in each capillary (75 μm inside diameter) toprepare the porous monolithic sol-gel column by a one-step, in situ, process. The chromatographic behavior of the eight PSGcolumns were comparatively studied, all of which exhibit reversed-phase character. Using these columns, several neutral compounds,namely thiourea, benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, biphenyl and naphthalene can be separated from mixtures with a largest columnefficiency of 74 470 plate/column for thiourea. Addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate in the polymerization process has a significantinfluence on the morphology and migration time.

The possibilities of a new type of scanning probe microscopy (SPM) for two different samples are experimentally demonstrated. The method is based on the use of a pointed capillary, which can simultaneously act as a 'classical' SPM probe and also as a controlled thin channel for transporting charged particles emitted by the surface to the detector. In the experiment, photoelectrons pass through a dielectric hollow cone probe with an aperture radius of 1 μm and detected by microchannel plates at different points of the investigated conducting surface irradiated by the second harmonic of a femtosecond Ti : sapphire laser. As a result, the sample's surface profile is visualised with a subwavelength spatial resolution. This method makes it possible to control spatially localised beams of electrons, ions, neutral atoms (molecules) and soft X-ray radiation, as well as opens a possibility for research in the field of nanoscale photodesorption of molecular ions.

... illuminate the operating controls at the principal operating position. (b) Instead of dial lights, a light from an electric lamp may be provided to illuminate the operating controls of the radiotelephone at...

The stability under illumination of transmission-mode GaAs photocathode sealed in the third generation intensifier is investigated by use of spectral response testing instruments. The variations of spectral response with the illumination times under weak and intense illumination are compared. The variations of photoemission performance parameters are also characterized. The results show that during initial several weak illuminations photocathode behaves no evident decay and a maximum sensitivity is achieved, while under intense illumination the sensitivity of photocathode begin to decrease largely at the first illumination. The calculated performance parameters show that the variation of surface escape probability with illumination times is a direct cause of instability of photocathode. It is also found that under intense illumination peak wavelength is moved towards short-wave and peak response is decreased, which shows that the ability of long-wave response of photocathode is decreased.

Capillary forces have been measured by atomic force microscopy in the sphere-plate geometry, in a controlled humidity environment, between smooth silicon carbide and borosilicate glass spheres. The force measurements were performed as a function of the rms surface roughness ˜4-14 nm mainly due to sphere morphology, the relative humidity (RH) ˜0%-40%, the applied load on the cantilever, and the contact time. The pull-off force was found to decrease by nearly two orders of magnitude with increasing rms roughness from 8 to 14 nm due to formation of a few capillary menisci for the roughest surfaces, while it remained unchanged for rms roughness <8 nm implying fully wetted surface features leading to a single meniscus. The latter reached a steady state in less than 5 s for the smoothest surfaces, as force measurements versus contact time indicated for increased RH˜40%. Finally, the pull-off force increases and reaches a maximum with applied load, which is associated with plastic deformation of surface asperities, and decreases at higher loads.

Micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC), a separation mode of capillary electrophoresis (CE), has enabled the separation of electrically neutral analytes. MEKC can be performed by adding an ionic micelle to the running solution of CE without modifying the instrument. Its separation principle is based on the differential migration of the ionic micelles and the bulk running buffer under electrophoresis conditions and on the interaction between the analyte and the micelle. Hence, MEKC's separation principle is similar to that of chromatography. MEKC is a useful technique particularly for the separation of small molecules, both neutral and charged, and yields high-efficiency separation in a short time with minimum amounts of sample and reagents. To improve the concentration sensitivity of detection, several on-line sample preconcentration techniques such as sweeping have been developed.

Full Text Available A device producing Z-pinching plasma as a source of XUV radiation is described. Here a ceramic capacitor bank pulse-charged up to 100 kV is discharged through a pre-ionized gas-filled ceramic tube 3.2 mm in diameter and 21 cm in length. The discharge current has amplitude of 20 kA and a rise-time of 65 ns. The apparatus will serve as experimental device for studying of capillary discharge plasma, for testing X-ray optics elements and for investigating the interaction of water-window radiation with biological samples. After optimization it will be able to produce 46.9 nm laser radiation with collision pumped Ne-like argon ions active medium.

The paper deals with the 2D gravity-capillary water waves equations in their Hamiltonian formulation, addressing the question of the nonlinear interaction of a plane wave with its reflection off a vertical wall. The main result is the construction of small amplitude, standing (namely periodic in time and space, and not travelling) solutions of Sobolev regularity, for almost all values of the surface tension coefficient, and for a large set of time-frequencies. This is an existence result for a quasi-linear, Hamiltonian, reversible system of two autonomous pseudo-PDEs with small divisors. The proof is a combination of different techniques, such as a Nash-Moser scheme, microlocal analysis and bifurcation analysis.

This invention relates to an electrophoresis separation medium having a gel matrix of at least one random, linear copolymer comprising a primary comonomer and at least one secondary comonomer, wherein the comonomers are randomly distributed along the copolymer chain. The primary comonomer is an acrylamide or an acrylamide derivative that provides the primary physical, chemical, and sieving properties of the gel matrix. The at least one secondary comonomer imparts an inherent physical, chemical, or sieving property to the copolymer chain. The primary and secondary comonomers are present in a ratio sufficient to induce desired properties that optimize electrophoresis performance. The invention also relates to a method of separating a mixture of biological molecules using this gel matrix, a method of preparing the novel electrophoresis separation medium, and a capillary tube filled with the electrophoresis separation medium.

A few percent wobbling-beam illumination nonuniformity is realized in heavy ion inertial confinement fusion (HIF) by a spiraling beam axis motion in the paper. So far the wobbling heavy ion beam (HIB) illumination was proposed to realize a uniform implosion in HIF. However, the initial imprint of the wobbling HIBs was a serious problem and introduces a large unacceptable energy deposition nonuniformity. In the wobbling HIBs illumination, the illumination nonuniformity oscillates in time and s...

Quantitatively reconstructing optical absorption using photoacoustic imaging is nontrivial. Theoretical hurdles, such as nonuniqueness and numerical instability, can be mitigated by using multiple illuminations. However, even with multiple illuminations, using ANSI-safety-limited fluence for practical imaging may result in poor performance owing to limited signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). We demonstrate the use of S-sequence coded patterned illumination to boost SNR while preserving the enhanced stability of multiple-illumination iterative techniques.

SummaryAn accurate method to determine contact angles (CA) of soils as a measure of water repellency is still missing. In the present research, we evaluated and compared different methods to determine the CA of dry soil samples. Experiments were made by using a set of porous materials (silt, sand and glass beads) with different levels of water repellency. The CAs were measured with the Capillary Rise Method ( θCRM; liquid penetration into a 3-d system), the Wilhelmy plate method ( θWPM; measurement of capillary forces acting on a plane sample) and the Sessile Drop Method ( θSDM; optical CA analysis of drop contour on a plane sample). Results were compared with the CAs calculated from capillary rise in long vertical columns ( θECR), where liquid profiles of the final capillary rise of water and ethanol, respectively, were used to derive the contact angle under the assumed equilibrium conditions. The results showed the overestimation of the CA by using the well established bi-liquid CRM technique for porous materials, in particular for material with a low degree of water repellency (CA < 40°) and for the finer textured materials. In contrast, a variant of the Wilhelmy plate method, i.e. the cosine-averaged advancing CA and receding CA ( θEWPM), as well as the Sessile Drop CA, θSDM, were close to the ones of θECR. We concluded that θEWPM and θSDM are apparent CA, but nevertheless able to predict the impact of wettability on the final capillary rise which is affected by pore topology as well as by wettability.

Based on nonimaging design method,uniform illuminance systems with LED source were developed to create a uniform illuminated circular region with a desired size in a screen at a prescribed place.By using ray-tracing software based on Monte-Carlo method,the simulation results show that in the illuminated region the luminous uniformity is higher than 90%.

We propose a novel method to correct for arbitrary illumination variation in the face images. The main purpose is to improve recognition results of face images taken under uncontrolled illumination conditions. We correct the illumination variation in the face images using a face shape model, which

Full Text Available An experimental apparatus with a horizontal capillary tube for measurement of the surface tension of supercooled liquids, i.e. liquids in a metastable state below the equilibrium freezing point, was designed and tested in the previous study [V. Vinš et al., EPJ Web Conf. 92, 02108 (2015]. In this work, recent modifications of both the experimental setup and the measurement analysis are described. The main aim is to improve the accuracy and the reproducibility of measured surface tension and to achieve higher degrees of supercooling. Temperature probes measuring the temperature of cooling medium near the horizontal capillary tube were calibrated in the relevant temperature range from – 31 °C to + 45 °C. An additional pressure transducer was installed in the helium distribution setup at the position close to the capillary tube. The optical setup observing the liquid meniscus at the open end of the horizontal capillary tube together with the video analysis were thoroughly revised. The red laser illuminating the liquid meniscus, used at the original apparatus, was replaced by a fiber optic light source, which significantly improved the quality of the meniscus image. The modified apparatus was used for the measurement of surface tension of supercooled water at temperatures down to – 11 °C. The new data have a lower scatter compared to the previous horizontal measurements and show a good agreement with the other data obtained with a different measurement technique based on the modified capillary rise method.

A collimator, that parallelizes an X-ray beam, provides a significant improvement of the metrology to characterize X-ray optics for space instruments at MPE's PANTER X-ray test facility. A Fresnel zone plate was selected as a collimating optic, as it meets a good angular resolution 10 cm2. Such an optic is ideally suited to illuminate Silicon Pore Optic (SPO) modules as proposed for ATHENA. This paper provides the theoretic description of such a Fresnel zone plate especially considering resolution and efficiency. Based on the theoretic results the collimator setup performance is analyzed and requirements for fabrication and alignment are calculated.

Dual-color live cell fluorescence microscopy of fast intracellular trafficking processes, such as axonal transport, requires rapid switching of illumination channels. Typical broad-spectrum sources necessitate the use of mechanical filter switching, which introduces delays between acquisition of different fluorescence channels, impeding the interpretation and quantification of highly dynamic processes. Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), however, allow modulation of excitation light in microseconds. Here we provide a step-by-step protocol to enable any scientist to build a research-grade LED illuminator for live cell microscopy, even without prior experience with electronics or optics. We quantify and compare components, discuss our design considerations, and demonstrate the performance of our LED illuminator by imaging axonal transport of herpes virus particles with high temporal resolution. PMID:26600461

Full Text Available Dual-color live cell fluorescence microscopy of fast intracellular trafficking processes, such as axonal transport, requires rapid switching of illumination channels. Typical broad-spectrum sources necessitate the use of mechanical filter switching, which introduces delays between acquisition of different fluorescence channels, impeding the interpretation and quantification of highly dynamic processes. Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs, however, allow modulation of excitation light in microseconds. Here we provide a step-by-step protocol to enable any scientist to build a research-grade LED illuminator for live cell microscopy, even without prior experience with electronics or optics. We quantify and compare components, discuss our design considerations, and demonstrate the performance of our LED illuminator by imaging axonal transport of herpes virus particles with high temporal resolution.

This paper demonstrates the fabrication and performance of a capillary electrophoresis (CE) chip with a UV-assisted roll-to-plate fabrication mechanism. Patterning and lamination of the chip can be performed with fabrication speeds of up to 19 m/min (ca. 20 chips/min), offering a rapid and simple...

In this project we developed and tested a novel technology, designed to enhance seismic resolution and imaging of ultra-deep complex geologic structures by using state-of-the-art wave-equation depth migration and wave-equation velocity model building technology for deeper data penetration and recovery, steeper dip and ultra-deep structure imaging, accurate velocity estimation for imaging and pore pressure prediction and accurate illumination and amplitude processing for extending the AVO prediction window. Ultra-deep wave-equation imaging provides greater resolution and accuracy under complex geologic structures where energy multipathing occurs, than what can be accomplished today with standard imaging technology. The objective of the research effort was to examine the feasibility of imaging ultra-deep structures onshore and offshore, by using (1) wave-equation migration, (2) angle-gathers velocity model building, and (3) wave-equation illumination and amplitude compensation. The effort consisted of answering critical technical questions that determine the feasibility of the proposed methodology, testing the theory on synthetic data, and finally applying the technology for imaging ultra-deep real data. Some of the questions answered by this research addressed: (1) the handling of true amplitudes in the downward continuation and imaging algorithm and the preservation of the amplitude with offset or amplitude with angle information required for AVO studies, (2) the effect of several imaging conditions on amplitudes, (3) non-elastic attenuation and approaches for recovering the amplitude and frequency, (4) the effect of aperture and illumination on imaging steep dips and on discriminating the velocities in the ultra-deep structures. All these effects were incorporated in the final imaging step of a real data set acquired specifically to address ultra-deep imaging issues, with large offsets (12,500 m) and long recording time (20 s).

Image cross-correlation microscopy (ICM) is a technique that quantifies the motion of fluorescent features in an image by measuring the temporal autocorrelation function decay in a time-lapse image sequence. ICM has traditionally employed laser-scanning microscopes because the technique emerged as an extension of laser-based fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). In this work, we show that image correlation can also be used to measure fluorescence dynamics in uniform illumination or wide-field imaging systems and we call our new approach uniform illumination image correlation microscopy (UI-ICM). Wide-field microscopy is not only a simpler, less expensive imaging modality, but it offers the capability of greater temporal resolution over laser-scanning systems. In traditional laser-scanning ICM, lateral mobility is calculated from the temporal de-correlation of an image, where the characteristic length is the illuminating laser beam width. In wide-field microscopy, the diffusion length is defined by the feature size using the spatial autocorrelation function (SACF). Correlation function decay in time occurs as an object diffuses from its original position. We show that theoretical and simulated comparisons between Gaussian and uniform features indicate the temporal autocorrelation function (TACF) depends strongly on particle size and not particle shape. In this report, we establish the relationships between the SACF feature size, TACF characteristic time and the diffusion coefficient for UI-ICM using analytical, Monte-Carlo and experimental validation with particle tracking algorithms. Additionally, we demonstrate UI-ICM analysis of adhesion molecule domain aggregation and diffusion on the surface of human neutrophils. PMID:20055917

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a light engine for an illumination device, the light engine defining an output gate and being configured to output light from said output gate; wherein the light engine comprises: one or more light sources defining a light-emitting area; a concave reflector...... configured to receive light from the light-emitting area and to direct light from respective portions of the light-emitting area to form a converging beam that converges towards a beam spot at the output gate....

Toadere, Florin, E-mail: florin.toadere@itim-cj.r [National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 65-103 Donath, 400293 Cluj-Napoca (Romania)

2009-08-01

In this paper we propose a software algorithm which can simulate the human eyes colors view. We present a spectral image processing algorithm, in which we use the color checker spectral image, the human eyes cones spectral sensitivity and the spectral power distribution for light sources. We use three spectrums of real lamps, made by EG and G PerkinElmer: sunlight 5500K, xenon flash and xenon CW, and three CIE light standard sources: D65, CIE A and F7. In order to validate the functionality of the algorithm we simulate the color checker picture hues difference, under different illuminations generate with the light spectrums presented in this paper.

Techniques like optical neural guiding, photodynamic therapy and photosynthesis of the cell all required specific spatial energy distribution. Influences factors like the wavelength, polarization, spatial intensity distribution are all required, and the appropriate illumination condition for the cells inside the incubator are required to meet more complicated conditions. We report the system that using of the spatial light modulator to provide a multi-points control for the cell culturing. This system is modified from the commercialized projection system to reduce the cost. It is now possible to apply it to other bio-culturing related applications. Results for Human Melanocyte HMC, Glia cell and fibroblast cell are discussed.

We propose a very simple method for the flexible production of 1D structured illumination for high resolution 3D microscopy. Specifically, we propose the insertion of a Fresnel biprism after a monochromatic point source for producing a pair of twin, fully coherent, virtual point sources. The resulting interference fringes are projected into the 3D sample and, by simply varying the distance between the biprism and the point source, one can tune the period of the fringes, while keeping their contrast, in a very versatile and efficient way.

We propose a family of zone plates which are produced by the generalized Fibonacci sequences and their axial focusing properties are analyzed in detail. Compared with traditional Fresnel zone plates, the generalized Fibonacci zone plates present two axial foci with equal intensity. Besides, we propose an approach to adjust the axial locations of the two foci by means of different optical path difference, and further give the deterministic ratio of the two focal distances which attributes to their own generalized Fibonacci sequences. The generalized Fibonacci zone plates may allow for new applications in micro and nanophotonics.

This paper presents an automatic system of vehicle number-plate recognition based on neural networks. In this system, location of number-plate and recognition of characters in number-plate can be automatically completed. Pixel colors of Number-plate area are classified using neural network, then color features are extracted by analyzing scanning lines of the cross-section of number-plate. It takes full use of number-plate color features to locate number plate. Characters in number-plate can be effectively recognized using the neural networks. Experimental results show that the correct rate of number-plate location is close to 100%, and the time of number-plate location is less than 1 second. Moreover, recognition rate of characters is improved due to the known number-plate type. It is also observed that this system is not sensitive to variations of weather, illumination and vehicle speed. In addition, and also the size of number-plate need not to be known in prior. This system is of crucial significance to apply and spread the automatic system of vehicle number-plate recognition.

A whole-field 3D surface measurement system for semiconductor wafer inspection is described.The system consists of an optical fiber plate,which can split the light beam into N2 subbeams to realize the whole-field inspection.A special prism is used to separate the illumination light and signal light.This setup is characterized by high precision,high speed and simple structure.

The system to control the area of illumination is important for the luminaires used for stages and TV studios. Presently the methods to change the distance between a lamp and lenses, or to use a zooming projection of the aperture illuminated by the lamp are used to control the area. However, these methods require many optical components or mechanical components. Moreover, the energy of the light source is partially consumed by the absorption of the shutter on adjusting the illumination area. On the other hand, the control of the illuminance over the illuminated area is not possible by the methods. In this study, we developed the lighting system which enables to control both the illuminated area and the illuminance distribution within the area by scanning the beam from a LED array light source. The area of illumination was expanded along one dimension by scanning the LED beam using a rotating polygon mirror. The selection of the illuminated width and the control of the illuminance distribution were achieved by synchronizing the pulse width modulation (PWM) control of the LED with the rotation of the mirror using a time sharing control. As a result, various illuminance distributions can be realized at real time by using software control for the luminaire. The developed system has the merits of compact and high efficiency.

A few percent wobbling-beam illumination nonuniformity is realized in heavy ion inertial confinement fusion (HIF) by a spiraling beam axis motion in the paper. So far the wobbling heavy ion beam (HIB) illumination was proposed to realize a uniform implosion in HIF. However, the initial imprint of the wobbling HIBs was a serious problem and introduces a large unacceptable energy deposition nonuniformity. In the wobbling HIBs illumination, the illumination nonuniformity oscillates in time and space. The oscillating-HIB energy deposition may contribute to the reduction of the HIBs illumination nonuniformity. The wobbling HIBs can be generated in HIB accelerators and the oscillating frequency may be several 100MHz-1GHz. Three-dimensional HIBs illumination computations presented here show that the few percent wobbling HIBs illumination nonuniformity oscillates successfully with the same wobbling HIBs frequency.

Illumination conditions have an explicit effect on the performance of face recognition systems. In particular, varying the illumination upon the face imposes such, complex effects that the identification often fails to provide a stable performance level. In this paper, we propose an approach......, integrating face identity and illumination models in order to reach acceptable and stable face recognition rates. For this purpose, Active Appearance Model (A AM) and illumination model of faces are combined in order to obtain an illumination invariant face localization. The proposed method is an integrated......, is sufficient. There is no need to build complex models for illumination. As a result, this paper has presented a simple and efficient method for face modeling and face alignment in order to increase the performance of face localization by means of the proposed illumination invariant AIA method for face...

Effects of illuminants and illumination time on the growth of lettuce were researched. Red-blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs, 90% red light +10% blue light) and white light fluorescent (WF) lamps were compared as the illuminants for plant cultivation. Under each type of illuminant, lettuce was grown at 4 illumination times: 12 h, 16 h, 20 h and 24 h, with the same light intensity of 600 μmolm-2s-1. The leaf net photosynthetic rate (Pn) under the two illuminants was comparable but the shape of lettuce was obviously affected by the illuminant. The WF lamps produced more compact plant, while red-blue LED resulted in less but longer leaves. However, the total leaf area was not significantly affected by the illuminant. The red-blue LED produced nearly same aboveground biomass with far less energy consumption relative to WF lamps. The underground biomass was lowered under red-blue LED in comparison with WF lamps. Red-blue LED could improve the nutritional quality of lettuce by increasing the concentration of soluble sugar and vitamin C (VC) and reducing the concentration of nitrate. Under each type of illuminant, longer illumination time resulted in higher Pn, more leaves and larger leaf area. The total chlorophyll concentration increased while the concentration ratio of chlorophyll a/b decreased with the extension of illumination time. Illumination time had highly significant positive correlation with biomass. Moreover, when total daily light input was kept the same, longer illumination time increased the biomass significantly as well. In addition, longer illumination time increased the concentration of crude fiber, soluble sugar and VC and reduced the concentration of nitrate. In summary, red-blue LEDs and 24 h illumination time were demonstrated to be more suitable for lettuce cultivation in the controlled environment.

Fiber-packed capillary columns have been evaluated in chromatographic performance in capillary electrochromatography (CEC). The change of electroosmotic flow (EOF) velocity and selectivity using different kinds of fiber materials was examined. Although the EOF velocity among the different fiber packed columns was almost the same, retention of parabens was larger on the Kevlar-packed column than on the Zylon-packed one, and was larger on the as-span-type fiber-packed column than on the high-modulus-type packed one. Using 200 microm ID x 5 cm Kevlar packed column combined with a 100 microm ID x 20 cm precolumn capillary and a 530 microm ID x 45 cm postcolumn capillary, the separation of three parabens within 30 s was achieved. Other compounds were also separated in a few minutes by the fiber-packed CEC method.

We present a new tracking device based on glass capillary bundles or layers filled with highly purified liquid scintillator and read out at one end by means of image intensifiers and CCD devices. A large-volume prototype consisting of 5 × 105 capillaries with a diameter of 20 μm and a length of 180 cm and read out by a megapixel CCD has been tested with muon and neutrino beams at CERN. With this prototype a two track resolution of 33 μm was achieved with passing through muons. Images of neutrino interactions in a capillary bundle have also been acquired and analysed. Read-out chains based on Electron Bombarded CCD (EBCCD) and image pipeline devices are also investigated. Preliminary results obtained with a capillary bundle read out by an EBCCD are presented.

We present direct experimental evidence that water droplets can spontaneously penetrate non-wetting capillaries, driven by the action of Laplace pressure due to high droplet curvature. Using high-speed optical imaging, microcapillaries of radius 50 to 150 micron, and water microdroplets of average radius between 100 and 1900 micron, we demonstrate that there is a critical droplet radius below which water droplets can be taken up by hydrophobised glass and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) capillaries. The rate of capillary uptake is shown to depend strongly on droplet size, with smaller droplets being absorbed more quickly. Droplet size is also shown to influence meniscus motion in a pre-filled non-wetting capillary, and quantitative measurements of this effect result in a derived water-PTFE static contact angle between 96 degrees and 114 degrees. Our measurements confirm recent theoretical predictions and simulations for metal nanodroplets penetrating carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The results are relevant to a wide ...

NASA scientist, in the Space Sciences lab at Marshall, works with capillary optics that generate more intense X-rays than conventional sources. This capability is useful in studying the structure of important proteins.

Full Text Available Face image matching is an essential step for face recognition and face verification. It is difficult to achieve robust face matching under various image acquisition conditions. In this paper, a novel face image matching algorithm robust against illumination variations is proposed. The proposed image matching algorithm is motivated by the characteristics of high image gradient along the face contours. We define a new consistency measure as the inner product between two normalized gradient vectors at the corresponding locations in two images. The normalized gradient is obtained by dividing the computed gradient vector by the corresponding locally maximal gradient magnitude. Then we compute the average consistency measures for all pairs of the corresponding face contour pixels to be the robust matching measure between two face images. To alleviate the problem due to shadow and intensity saturation, we introduce an intensity weighting function for each individual consistency measure to form a weighted average of the consistency measure. This robust consistency measure is further extended to integrate multiple face images of the same person captured under different illumination conditions, thus making our robust face matching algorithm. Experimental results of applying the proposed face image matching algorithm on some well-known face datasets are given in comparison with some existing face recognition methods. The results show that the proposed algorithm consistently outperforms other methods and achieves higher than 93% recognition rate with three reference images for different datasets under different lighting conditions.

Vision provides information about the properties and identity of objects. The ease with which we perceive object properties belies the difficulty of the underlying information-processing task. In the case of object color, retinal information about object reflectance is confounded with information about the illumination as well as about the object's shape and pose. There is no obvious rule that allows transformation of the retinal image to a color representation that depends primarily on object surface reflectance. Under many circumstances, however, object color appearance is remarkably stable across scenes in which the object is viewed. Here, we review a line of experiments and theory that aim to understand how the visual system stabilizes object color appearance. Our emphasis is on models derived from explicit analysis of the computational problem of estimating the physical properties of illuminants and surfaces from the retinal image, and experiments that test these models. We argue that this approach has considerable promise for allowing generalization from simplified laboratory experiments to richer scenes that more closely approximate natural viewing. We discuss the relation between the work we review and other theoretical approaches available in the literature.

Intraosseous hemangioma is a benign vascular neoplasm, which is mostly seen in vertebrae, maxillofacial bones, and long bones. Intraosseous hemangioma is rarely seen on jaw bones compared to other skeletal bones and usually occurs in the cavernous form. Capillary intraosseous hemangioma of jaws is an uncommon form of intraosseous hemangioma and has not been thoroughly described so far. In this study, a case of capillary intraosseous hemangioma of the mandible was presented with relevant literature review.

Intraosseous hemangioma is a benign vascular neoplasm, which is mostly seen in vertebrae, maxillofacial bones, and long bones. Intraosseous hemangioma is rarely seen on jaw bones compared to other skeletal bones and usually occurs in the cavernous form. Capillary intraosseous hemangioma of jaws is an uncommon form of intraosseous hemangioma and has not been thoroughly described so far. In this study, a case of capillary intraosseous hemangioma of the mandible was presented with relevant liter...

Intraosseous hemangioma is a benign vascular neoplasm, which is mostly seen in vertebrae, maxillofacial bones, and long bones. Intraosseous hemangioma is rarely seen on jaw bones compared to other skeletal bones and usually occurs in the cavernous form. Capillary intraosseous hemangioma of jaws is an uncommon form of intraosseous hemangioma and has not been thoroughly described so far. In this study, a case of capillary intraosseous hemangioma of the mandible was presented with relevant liter...

We consider the steady-state analysis of a pinned elastic plate lying on the free surface of a thin viscous fluid, forced by the motion of a bottom substrate moving at constant speed. A mathematical model incorporating elasticity, viscosity, surface tension, and pressure forces is derived, and consists of a third-order Landau-Levich equation for the thin film, and a fifth-order beam equation for the plate. A numerical and asymptotic analysis is presented in the relevant limits of the elasticity and Capillary numbers. We demonstrate the emergence of boundary-layer effects near the ends of the plate, which are likely to be a generic phenomenon for singularly perturbed elastocapillary problems.

Three chiral compounds were successfully separated in a short time with two enantiomer separation models on packed-capillary electrochromatography (CEC). (i) 75 μm I.D. capillaries were packed with 5 μm β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) chiral stationary phase (CSP). Effects of voltage, pH and concentration of organic modifier on electroosmotic flow (EOF) and chiral separations were investigated systematically. Enantiomers of a neutral compound (benzoin) and a neutral drug (mephenytoin) were separated within a short time with high efficiency. Efficiency of 32 000 theoretical plates per meter and resolution (R_s) of 1.42 were achieved for enantiomers of benzoin using a βCD packed column with 6.2 cm packed length. Efficiency of 45 000 theoretical plates per meter and R_s of 3.40 were obtained for enantiomers of mephenytoin. Especially, the enantiomer separation of mephenytion was performed in just 3.4 min with R_s of 2.60. (ⅱ) 75 μm I.D. capillary was packed with octadecylsilica particles (ODS). Chiral separat

Joule heating, arising from the electric current passing through the capillary, causes many undesired effects in CE that ultimately result in band broadening. The use of narrow-bore capillaries helps to solve this problem as smaller cross-sectional area results in decreased Joule heating and the rate of heat dissipation is increased by the larger surface-to-volume ratio. Issues arising from such small capillaries, such as poor detection sensitivity, low loading capacity and high flow-induced backpressure (complicating capillary loading) can be avoided by using a bundle of small capillaries operating simultaneously that share buffer reservoirs. Microstructured fibres, originally designed as waveguides in the telecommunication industry, are essentially a bundle of parallel ∼5 μm id channels that extend the length of a fibre having otherwise similar dimensions to conventional CE capillaries. This work presents the use of microstructured fibres for CZE, taking advantage of their relatively high surface-to-volume ratio and the small individual size of each channel to effect highly efficient separations, particularly for dye-labelled peptides.

Straight and curved glass capillaries were tested for the guiding of 8 keV Ar{sup 8+} ion beams. The straight capillary was about 50 mm long and 0.87 mm/1.1 mm in inner/outer diameter. One of the two curved capillaries was similar, but was curved with a 270 mm radius. The other was 53 mm long, had diameters of 2.34 mm/2.99 mm, and was curved with a 150 mm radius. The corresponding bending angles of the two curved capillaries were 9.6° and 17.5°, respectively. Transmission through the straight capillary disappeared when the tilt angle was larger than 5°. The curved capillaries guided the ion beams into their corresponding bending angles, which were much larger than 5°, with transmission efficiencies of a few tens percent. This demonstrates the possibility of developing a new scheme of simple small beam deflectors and related beam optics.

In the December 1997 issue of "SchoolArts" is a lesson titled "Blue Willow Story Plates" by Susan Striker. In this article, the author shares how she used this lesson with her middle-school students many times over the years. Here, she describes a Blue Willow plate painting project that her students made.

The ability to reduce risk and uncertainty across the full life cycle of an asset is directly correlated to creating an accurate subsurface image that enhances our understanding of the geology. This presentation focuses on this objective in areas of complex overburden in deepwater. Marine 3D seismic surveys have been acquired in essentially the same way for the past decade. This configuration of towed streamer acquisition, where the boat acquires data in one azimuth has been very effective in imaging areas in fairly benign geologic settings. As the industry has moved into more complicated geologic settings these surveys no longer meet the imaging objectives for risk reduction in exploration through production. In shallow water, we have seen increasing use of ocean bottom cables to meet this challenge. For deepwater, new breakthroughs in technology were required. This will be highlighted through examples of imaging below large salt bodies in the deep water Gulf of Mexico. GoM - Mad Dog: The Mad Dog field is located approximately 140 miles south of the Louisiana coastline in the southern Green Canyon area in water depths between 4100 feet to 6000 feet. The complex salt canopy overlying a large portion of the field results in generally poor seismic data quality. Advanced processing techniques improved the image, but gaps still remained even after several years of effort. We concluded that wide azimuth acquisition was required to illuminate the field in a new way. Results from the Wide Azimuth Towed Streamer (WATS) survey deployed at Mad Dog demonstrated the anticipated improvement in the subsalt image. GoM - Atlantis Field: An alternative approach to wide azimuth acquisition, ocean bottom seismic (OBS) node technology, was developed and tested. In 2001 deepwater practical experience was limited to a few nodes owned by academic institutions and there were no commercial solutions either available or in development. BP embarked on a program of sea trials designed to both

Abstract⎯For face detection under complex background and illumination, a detection method that combines the skin color segmentation and cost-sensitive Adaboost algorithm is proposed in this paper. First, by using the characteristic of human skin color clustering in the color space, the skin color area inYCbCr color space is extracted and a large number of irrelevant backgrounds are excluded; then for remedyingthe deficiencies of Adaboost algorithm, the cost-sensitive function is introduced into the Adaboost algorithm; finally the skin color segmentation and cost-sensitive Adaboost algorithm are combined for the face detection. Experimental results show that the proposed detection method has a higher detection rate and detection speed, which can more adapt to the actual field environment.

Compensation method for illumination change, which has big influences on the characteristics of imaging system, is studied. On the condition that color chart is placed in the view of camera, the imaging system recognizes the color chart and the signals from the camera are processed by using the color chart data. Concerning the light from the window, and fluorescent light, it is confirmed that color chart is possible to be recognized and the color system is corrected to the expected chart signal within the error 10 % by considering quadratic terms of RGB. This method is considered to improve the accuracy of motion detection and also to better video communication by realizing preferalle color reproduction.

The Total Internally Reflecting (TIR) lens is a faceted structure composed of prismatic elements that collect a source's light over a much larger angular range than a conventional Fresnel lens. It has been successfully applied to the efficient collimation of light from incandescent and fluorescent lamps, and from light-emitting diodes (LEDs). A novel LED-powered collimating backlight is presented here, for uniformly illuminating 0.25'-diagonal miniature liquid- crystal displays, which are a burgeoning market for pagers, cellular phones, digital cameras, camcorders, and virtual- reality displays. The backlight lens consists of a central dual-asphere refracting section and an outer TIR section, properly curved with a curved exit face.

CIEF and CZE are coupled with LIF detection to create an ultrasensitive 2-D separation method for proteins. In this method, two capillaries are joined through a buffer-filled interface. Separate power supplies control the potential at the injection end of the first capillary and at the interface; the detector is held at ground potential. Proteins are labeled with the fluorogenic reagent Chromeo P503, which preserves the isoelectric point of the labeled protein. The labeled proteins were mixed with ampholytes and injected into the first-dimension capillary. A focusing step was performed with the injection end of the capillary at high pH and the interface at low pH. To mobilize components, the interface was filled with a high pH buffer, which was compatible with the second-dimension separation. A fraction was transferred to the second-dimension capillary for separation. The process of fraction transfer and second dimension separation was repeated two dozen times. The separation produced a spot capacity of 125.

Capillary rarefaction occurs in many tissues in patients with essential hypertension and may contribute to an increased vascular resistance and impaired muscle metabolism. Rarefaction may be caused by a structural (anatomic) absence of capillaries, functional nonperfusion, or both. The aim of this s

The electro-osmotic flow, a significant factor in capillary electrophoretic separations, is very sensitive to small changes in structure and surface roughness of the inner surface of fused silica capillary. Besides a number of negative effects, the electro-osmotic flow can also have a positive effect on the separation. An example could be fused silica capillaries with homogenous surface roughness along their entire separation length as produced by etching with supercritical water. Different strains of methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus were separated on that type of capillaries. In the present study, fused-silica capillaries with a gradient of surface roughness were prepared and their basic behavior was studied in capillary zone electrophoresis with UV-visible detection. First the influence of the electro-osmotic flow on the peak shape of a marker of electro-osmotic flow, thiourea, has been discussed. An antifungal agent, hydrophobic amphotericin B, and a protein marker, albumin, have been used as model analytes. A significant narrowing of the detected zones of the examined analytes was achieved in supercritical-water-treated capillaries as compared to the electrophoretic separation in smooth capillaries. Minimum detectable amounts of 5 ng/mL amphotericin B and 5 μg/mL albumin were reached with this method.

This paper reports the implementation of temporal capillary microfluidic patterns and biological nanoscaffolds in autonomous microfabrication of nanostructured symmetric electrochemical supercapacitors. A photoresist layer was first patterned on the substrate, forming a capillary microfluidics layer with two separated interdigitated microchannels. Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) macromolecules suspended in solution are autonomously delivered into the microfluidics, and form a dense bio-nanoscaffolds layer within an hour. This TMV layer is utilized in the electroless plating and thermal oxidation for creating nanostructured NiO supercapacitor. The galvanostatic charge/discharge cycle showed a 3.6-fold increase in areal capacitance for the nanostructured electrode compared to planar structures. The rapid creation of nanostructure-textured microdevices with only simple photolithography and bionanostructure self-assembly can completely eliminate the needs for sophisticated synthesis or deposition processes. This method will contribute to rapid prototyping of wide range of nano-/micro-devices with enhanced performance.

This paper presents a method to recover a spatially varying illuminant colour estimate from scenes lit by multiple light sources. Starting with the image formation process, we formulate the illuminant recovery problem in a statistically datadriven setting. To do this, we use a factor graph defined across the scale space of the input image. In the graph, we utilise a set of illuminant prototypes computed using a data driven approach. As a result, our method delivers a pixelwise illuminant colour estimate being devoid of libraries or user input. The use of a factor graph also allows for the illuminant estimates to be recovered making use of a maximum a posteriori (MAP) inference process. Moreover, we compute the probability marginals by performing a Delaunay triangulation on our factor graph. We illustrate the utility of our method for pixelwise illuminant colour recovery on widely available datasets and compare against a number of alternatives. We also show sample colour correction results on real-world images.

The objectives of this study are to determine the removal rates of orthognathic plates used during orthognathic surgery at James Cook University Hospital and describe the reasons for plate removal. 202 consecutive orthognathic cases were identified between July 2004 and July 2012. Demographics and procedure details were collected for these patients. Patients from this group who returned to theatre for plate removal between July 2004 and November 2012 were identified and their notes were analysed for data including reason for plate removal, age, smoking status, sex and time to plate removal. 3.2% of plates were removed with proportionally more plates removed from the mandible than the maxilla. 10.4% of patients required removal of one or more plate. Most plates were removed within the first post-operative year. The commonest reasons for plate removal were plate exposure and infection. The plate removal rates in our study are comparable to those seen in the literature.

A new capillary coated by double polymer, polybrene/chondroitin sulfate C (P/CC), was developed using a simple procedure. The P/CC double coated capillary showed long lifetime,strong chemical stability and good reproducibility. It endured during more than 100 replicated analyses and was also tolerant to HCl (1 mol/L), NaOH (0.01 mol/L), CH3OH and CH3CN. The P/CC double coated capillary can be applied to basic drug analyses. The adsorption of basic drugs to the capillary wall was suppressed and the peak tailing greatly decreased. The use of the P/CC double coated capillary allowed excelent separation of the enantiomers of some basic drugs by using chondroitin sulfate C as the chiral selector, ami the peak symmetry of basic drugs was further improved under these conditions.

As structural elements, anisotropic elastic plates find wide applications in modern technology. The plates here are considered to be subjected to not only in plane load but also transverse load. In other words, both plane and plate bending problems as well as the stretching-bending coupling problems are all explained in this book. In addition to the introduction of the theory of anisotropic elasticity, several important subjects have are discussed in this book such as interfaces, cracks, holes, inclusions, contact problems, piezoelectric materials, thermoelastic problems and boundary element a

1. Warm plates to room temperature before use. Cold plates causes the top agar to solidify irregularly. DO not warm plates to 37° as the top agar will take forever to solidify. - Prepare top agar as the appropriate liquid medium with 0.7% agar. Keeping 100 mL bottles is convenient. For phages, use λ top agar, which is less rich and yields bigger plaques. - Melt top agar in the microwave completely. Allow the agar to boil after liquification; incompletely melted agar looks liquid, but is...

We utilized "direct illumination-type" LED backlight project, made white-light LED array in rectangle, designed a sheet of reflective film, a sheet of diffuser and two sheets of brightness enhancement film, then analyzed illuminance chart which was the result of simulation in several distance between reflective film and optical film. It showed the best matching between illuminance and uniformity while in 25 mm distance. Finally, we discussed some problems with thermal dispersion.

An alternative Monte Carlo strategy for the computation of global illumination problem was presented.The proposed approach provided a new and optimal way for solving Monte Carlo global illumination based on the zero variance importance sampling procedure. A new importance driven Monte Carlo global illumination algorithm in the framework of the new computing scheme was developed and implemented. Results, which were obtained by rendering test scenes, show that this new framework and the newly derived algorithm are effective and promising.

Capillary columns containing butyl or lauryl methacrylate monoliths were prepared using two different free-radical polymerization methods: conventional free-radical polymerization and controlled/living free-radical polymerization, both initiated thermally, and these methods were compared for the first time. Both monolith morphology and chromatographic efficiency were compared for the synthesized stationary phases using scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and capillary liquid chromatography, respectively. Columns prepared using controlled method gave better chromatographic performance for both monomers tested. The lauryl-based monolith showed 7-fold improvement in chromatographic efficiency with a plate count of 42,000 plates/m (corrected for dead volume) for a non-retained compound. Columns fabricated using controlled polymerization appeared more homogenous radially with fused small globular morphologies, evaluated by SEM, and lower column permeability. The columns were compared with respect to resolving power of a series of alkylbenzenes under isocratic and gradient elution conditions.

In this paper, we consider the problem of designing energy efficient light emitting diodes (LEDs) layout while satisfying the illumination constraints. Towards this objective, we present a simple approach to the illumination design problem based on the concept of the virtual LED. We formulate a constrained optimization problem for minimizing the power consumption while maintaining a near-uniform illumination throughout the room. By solving the resulting constrained linear program, we obtain the number of required LEDs and the optimal output luminous intensities that achieve the desired illumination constraints.

In high-frequency photoacoustic imaging with uniform illumination, homogenous photo-absorbing structures may be invisible because of their large size or limited-view issues. Here we show that it is possible to reveal features, which are normally invisible with a photoacoustic system comprised of a 20MHz linear ultrasound array, by exploiting dynamic speckle illumination. We demonstrate imaging of a \\emptyset 5mm absorbing cylinder and a 30 \\mu m black thread arranged in a complex shape. The hidden structures are directly retrieved from photoacoustic images recorded for different random speckle illuminations of the phantoms by assessing the variation in the value of each pixel over the illumination patterns.

The ac parameters of GaAs/Ge solar cell were measured under illumination at different cell temperatures using impedance spectroscopy technique. They are compared with the dark measurements. It is found that the cell capacitance is higher and cell resistance is lower under illumination than in dark for all cell terminal voltages. The cell capacitances at the corresponding maximum power point voltage (terminal) do not vary with temperature where as the cell resistance decreases. The cell capacitance under illumination is estimated from the dark cell capacitance and it is in good agreement with the measured illumination data. (author)

An algorithm is presented for estimating the direction and strength of point light with the strength of ambient illumination. Existing approaches evaluate these illumination parameters directly in the high dimensional image space, while we estimate the parameters in two steps:first by projecting the image to an orthogonal linear subspace based on spherical harmonic basis functions and then by calculating the parameters in the low dimensional subspace.The test results using the CMU PIE database and Yale Database B show the stability and effectiveness of the method.The resulting illumination information can be used to synthesize more realistic relighting images and to recognize objects under variable illumination.

Face recognition systems are typically required to work under highly varying illumination conditions. This leads to complex effects imposed on the acquired face image that pertains little to the actual identity. Consequently, illumination normalization is required to reach acceptable recognition...... rates in face recognition systems. In this paper, we propose an approach that integrates the face identity and illumination models under the widely used Active Appearance Model framework as an extension to the texture model in order to obtain illumination-invariant face localization...

Capillaries pervade human physiology. The mean intercapillary distance is only about 100 μm in human tissue, which indicates the extent of nutrient diffusion. In engineered tissue the lack of capillaries, along with the associated perfusion, is problematic because it leads to hypoxic stress and necrosis. However, a capillary is not easy to engineer due to its complex cytoarchitecture. Here, it is shown that it is possible to create in vitro, in about 30 min, a tubular microenvironment with an elastic modulus and porosity consistent with human tissue that functionally mimicks a bona fide capillary using “live cell lithography”(LCL) to control the type and position of cells on a composite hydrogel scaffold. Furthermore, it is established that these constructs support the forces associated with blood flow, and produce nutrient gradients similar to those measured in vivo. With LCL, capillaries can be constructed with single cell precision—no other method for tissue engineering offers such precision. Since the time required for assembly scales with the number of cells, this method is likely to be adapted first to create minimal functional units of human tissue that constitute organs, consisting of a heterogeneous population of 100–1000 cells, organized hierarchically to express a predictable function.

The rheological properties of capillary suspensions, suspensions with small amounts of an added immiscible fluid, are dramatically altered with the addition of the secondary fluid. We investigate a capillary suspension to determine how the network ages and restructures at rest and under applied external shear deformation. The present work uses calcium carbonate suspended in silicone oil (11 % solids) with added water as a model system. Aging of capillary suspensions and their response to applied oscillatory shear is distinctly different from particulate gels dominated by the van der Waals forces. The suspensions dominated by the capillary force are very sensitive to oscillatory flow, with the linear viscoelastic regime ending at a deformation of only 0.1% and demonstrating power-law aging behavior. This aging persists for long times at low deformations or for shorter times with a sudden decrease in the strength at higher deformations. This aging behavior suggests that the network is able to rearrange and even rupture. This same sensitivity is not demonstrated in shear flow where very high shear rates are required to rupture the agglomerates returning the apparent viscosity of capillary suspensions to the same viscosity as for the pure vdW suspension. A transitional region is also present at intermediate water contents wherein the material response depends very strongly on the type, strength, and duration of the external forcing.

A novel micro-injector for capillary electrophoresis for the handling of samples with volumes down to as little as 300 nL was designed and built in our laboratory for analyses in which the available volume is a limitation. The sample is placed into a small cavity located directly in front of the separation capillary, and the injection is then carried out automatically by controlled pressurization of the chamber with compressed air. The system also allows automated flushing of the injection chamber as well as of the capillary. In a trial with a capillary electrophoresis system with contactless conductivity detector, employing a capillary of 25 μm diameter, the results showed good stability of migration times and peak areas. To illustrate the technique, the fast separation of five inorganic cations (Na(+) , K(+) , NH4 (+) , Ca(2+) , and Mg(2+) ) was set up. This could be achieved in less than 3 min, with good limits of detection (10 μM) and linear ranges (between about 10 and 1000 μM). The system was demonstrated for the determination of the inorganic cations in porewater samples of a lake sediment core.

Full Text Available ... blood glucose levels and lose weight. With this method, you fill your plate with more non-starchy ... but changes the portion sizes so you are getting larger portions of non-starchy vegetables and a ...

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Presents an activity that employs movement to enable students to understand concepts related to plate tectonics. Argues that movement brings topics to life in a concrete way and helps children retain knowledge. (DDR)

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VICONOPT calculates vibrations and instabilities of assemblies of prismatic plates. Designed for efficient, accurate analysis of buckling and vibration, and for optimum design of panels of composite materials. Written in FORTRAN 77.

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Presents an activity that employs movement to enable students to understand concepts related to plate tectonics. Argues that movement brings topics to life in a concrete way and helps children retain knowledge. (DDR)

This paper describes the design and application of instrumentation for automated high-throughput infusion ESI-mass spectrometry. The approach, based on a subatmospheric ESI interface, allows sample introduction from a commercially available microtiter plate without the need for a separate fluid delivery system. The microtiter plate was placed vertically on a three-dimensional translation stage in front of the sampling ESI interface. A single, 7-cm, 20-microm-i.d. fused-silica capillary (total volume, 70 nL), with a tapered tip, served as a combination of sample delivery and spraying capillary. The tapered tip of the capillary was enclosed in a subatmospheric chamber attached in front of the orifice of the mass spectrometer. The sample aspiration rate (flow rate) was regulated by computer-controlled pneumatic valves, which allowed fast switching of the pressure in the subatmospheric ESI chamber. A flow-through wash device was positioned between the microtiter plate and the ESI interface. This design allowed alternate filling of the capillary with (a) sample from the wells and (b) wash solution from the wash device. Sample turnaround times of 10 s/sample, with a 120-nL sample consumption/analysis, and a duty cycle (percentage of total analysis time spent acquiring data) of 40% were achieved. The infusion system was demonstrated in the analysis of preparative HPLC fractions from a small molecule combinatorial library.

The thermal performance of radiant heating and cooling systems (RHCS) composed of capillary micro tubes (CMT) integrated into the inner plate of sandwich elements made of high performance concrete (HPC) was investigated in the article. Temperature distribution in HPC elements around integrated CMT...... HPC layer covering the CMT. This paper shows that CMT integrated into the thin plate of sandwich element made of HPC can supply the energy needed for heating (cooling) and at the same time create the comfortable and healthy environment for the occupants. This solution is very suitable for heating...

This research investigates new methods of designing folded plate structures that can be built with cross-laminated timber panels. Folded plate structures are attractive to both architects and engineers for their structural, spatial, and plastic qualities. Thin surfaces can be stiffened by a series of folds, and thus not only cover space, but also act as load bearing elements. The variation of light and shadow along the folded faces emphasizes the plas...

The construction and performance of microchannel plates (MCPs) made using fractal tiling mehtods are reviewed. MCPs with 40 mm active areas having near-perfect channel ordering were produced. These plates demonstrated electrical performance characteristics equivalent to conventionally constructed MCPs. These apparently are the first MCPs which have a sufficiently high degree of order to permit single channel addressability. Potential applications for these devices and the prospects for further development are discussed.

Preliminary results of research conducted in the late 1970's indicate that perceptual qualities of an enclosure can be influenced by the distribution of illumination within the enclosure. Subjective impressions such as spaciousness, perceptual clarity, and relaxation or tenseness, among others, appear to be related to different combinations of surface luminance. A prototype indirect ambient illumination system was developed which will allow crew members to alter surface luminance distributions within an enclosed module, thus modifying perceptual cues to match crew preferences. A traditional lensed direct lighting system was compared to the prototype utilizing the full-scale mockup of Space Station Freedom developed by Marshall Space Flight Center. The direct lensed system was installed in the habitation module with the indirect prototype deployed in the U.S. laboratory module. Analysis centered on the illuminance and luminance distributions resultant from these systems and the implications of various luminaire spacing options. All test configurations were evaluated for compliance with NASA Standard 3000, Man-System Integration Standards.

An investigation on the effect of imaging parameters such as the direction of illumination and the magnification of the objective in the optical coordinate measurements is described in this paper. An optomechanical hole plate with 5x5 holes was measured using various configurations of illuminatio...

The invention relates to a titre plate for chemical and/or biochemical analysis based on an illumination measurement comprising a transparent substrate, applied to the substrate there is a metallic layer, which is provided with an array of reaction chambers, wherein the reaction chambers extend from

Phospholipid bilayer (SPB) coatings have been used in capillary electrophoresis to reduce the nonspecific adsorption between the capillary wall and cationic analytes. This paper describes the use of the polymerizable lipid 1,2-bis(10,12-tricosadiynoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (Diyne PC) as a permanent capillary coating. A supported phospholipid bilayer was formed on the capillary walls and polymerization was performed in situ using ultraviolet irradiation. The polymerization reaction was monitored by UV-visible absorbance spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The EOF of the polymerized Diyne PC coating was moderately suppressed (2.0×10(-4)cm(2)/Vs) compared to a non-polymerized Diyne PC bilayer (0.3×10(-4)cm(2)/Vs), but the stability was improved significantly. Separations of benzylamine, veratrylamine, phenylethylamine and tolyethylamine using a poly Diyne PC coated capillary yielded efficiency of 220,000-370,000 plates/m and peak asymmetry factor 0.48-1.18. Specifically, the poly(Diyne PC) coating provided improved separation resolution in NACE due to the reduced surface adsorption.

Full Text Available Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Verdana;} In 1798, Karl August Böttiger paid a nocturnal visit to the Gallery of Antiques in Dresden, illuminating the statues with a torch. At first glance, this seems to be yet another example of a popular practice for visiting galleries c.1800. Illuminating the sculptures by torchlight was a popular means of enlivening the objects, set in motion by the light flickering on their surfaces. The collections were thus meant to become a place where cold, white stone comes to life, and where the beholder becomes part of a revived antiquity.This was precisely what Böttiger intended, too. But to him, the effect of the torchlight appeared to be, as he wrote, “enlivening and – dividing!” The torchlight highlighted not only the beauty of the sculptures but also their modern restorations. Böttiger apparently failed to experience the living presence of the antique celebrated by many of his contemporaries (e.g. Goethe, Moritz.This essay focuses on the consequence of such a perception of sculptures as historically multi-layered objects. Böttiger’s experience resulted in a problematic situation. In trying to view the sculptures as contemporaries, he hoped to become ancient himself. But this operation failed in the moment when the sculptures themselves appeared to be anachronistic, impure palimpsests. In consequence, galleries may not only be the place were art history as chronological Stilgeschichte was born. They may also be the site where this perception changed into the experience of a more chaotic shape of time.

Solid State Lighting is a cost-effective, energy-conserving technology serving a rapidly expand- ing multi-billion dollar market. This program was designed to accelerate this lighting revolution by reducing the manufacturing cost of Illumination-Grade LEDs. The technical strategy was to investigate growth substrate alternatives to standard planar sapphire, select the most effective and compatible option, and demonstrate a significant increase in Lumen/$ with a marketable LED. The most obvious alternate substrate, silicon, was extensively studied in the first two years of the program. The superior thermal and mechanical properties of Si were expected to improve wavelength uniformity and hence color yield in the manufacture of high-power illumination- grade LEDs. However, improvements in efficiency and epitaxy uniformity on standard c-plane sapphire diminished the advantages of switching to Si. Furthermore, the cost of sapphire decreased significantly and the cost of processing Si devices using our thin film process was higher than expected. We concluded that GaN on Si was a viable technology but not a practical option for Philips Lumileds. Therefore in 2012 and 2013, we sought and received amendments which broadened the scope to include other substrates and extended the time of execution. Proprietary engineered substrates, off-axis (non-c-plane) sapphire, and c-plane patterned sapphire substrates (PSS) were all investigated in the final 18 months of this program. Excellent epitaxy quality was achieved on all three candidates; however we eliminated engineered substrates and non-c-plane sapphire because of their higher combined cost of substrate, device fabrication and packaging. Ultimately, by fabricating a flip-chip (FC) LED based upon c-plane PSS we attained a 42% reduction in LED manufacturing cost relative to our LUXEON Rebel product (Q1-2012). Combined with a flux gain from 85 to 102 Lm, the LUXEON Q delivered a 210% increase in Lm/$ over this time period. The

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) has emerged as one of the most versatile separation methods. However, efficient separation is not sufficient unless coupled to adequate detection. The narrow inner diameter (I.D.) of the capillary column raises a big challenge to detection methods. For UV-vis absorption detection, the concentration sensitivity is only at the μM level. Most commercial CE instruments are equipped with incoherent UV-vis lamps. Low-brightness, instability and inefficient coupling of the light source with the capillary limit the further improvement of UV-vis absorption detection in CE. The goals of this research have been to show the utility of laser-based absorption detection. The approaches involve: on-column double-beam laser absorption detection and its application to the detection of small ions and proteins, and absorption detection with the bubble-shaped flow cell.

We report on the capillary rise of water in three-dimensional networks of hydrophilic silica pores with 3.5nm and 5nm mean radii, respectively (porous Vycor monoliths). We find classical square root of time Lucas-Washburn laws for the imbibition dynamics over the entire capillary rise times of up to 16h investigated. Provided we assume two preadsorbed strongly bound layers of water molecules resting at the silica walls, which corresponds to a negative velocity slip length of -0.5nm for water flow in silica nanopores, we can describe the filling process by a retained fluidity and capillarity of water in the pore center. This anticipated partitioning in two dynamic components reflects the structural-thermodynamic partitioning in strongly silica bound water layers and capillary condensed water in the pore center which is documented by sorption isotherm measurements.

We study the self-assembly of bodies supported on the water surface by surface tension. Attractive and repulsive capillary forces exist between menisci of, respectively, the same and opposite signs. In nature, floating objects (e.g. mosquito larvae) thus interact through capillary forces to form coherent packings on the water surface. We here present the results of an experimental investigation of such capillary pattern formation. Thin elliptical metal sheets were designed to have variable shape, flexibility and mass distribution. On the water surface, mono-, bi-, or tri-polar menisci could thus be achieved. The influence of the form of the menisci on the packings arising from the interaction of multiple floaters is explored. Biological applications are discussed.

Novel microchannel plates have been constructed using borosilicate glass micro-capillary array substrates with 20 mu m and 10 mu m pores and coated with resistive, and secondary electron emissive, layers by atomic layer deposition. Microchannel plates in 33 mm, 50 mm and 20 cm square formats have been made and tested. Although their amplification, imaging, and timing properties are comparable to standard glass microchannel plates, the background rates and lifetime characteristics are considerably improved. Sealed tube detectors based on the Planacon tube, and a 25 mm cross delay line readout tube with a GaN(Mg) opaque photocathode deposited on borosilicate microchannel plates have been fabricated. Considerable progress has also been made with 20 cm microchannel plates for a 20 cm format sealed tube sensor with strip-line readout that is being developed for Cherenkov light detection.

Novel microchannel plates have been constructed using borosilicate glass micro-capillary array substrates with 20 µm and 10 µm pores and coated with resistive, and secondary electron emissive, layers by atomic layer deposition. Microchannel plates in 33 mm, 50 mm and 20 cm square formats have been made and tested. Although their amplification, imaging, and timing properties are comparable to standard glass microchannel plates, the background rates and lifetime characteristics are considerably improved. Sealed tube detectors based on the Planacon tube, and a 25 mm cross delay line readout tube with a GaN(Mg) opaque photocathode deposited on borosilicate microchannel plates have been fabricated. Considerable progress has also been made with 20 cm microchannel plates for a 20 cm format sealed tube sensor with strip-line readout that is being developed for Cherenkov light detection.

250μm×100mm fused silica glass capillaries were packed with 1.8μm high-strength silica (HSS) fully porous particles. They were prepared without bulky stainless steel endfittings and metal frits, which both generate significant sample dispersion. The isocratic efficiencies and gradient peak capacities of these prototype capillary columns were measured for small molecules (n-alkanophenones) using a home-made ultra-low dispersive micro-HPLC instrument. Their resolution power was compared to that of standard 2.1mm×100mm very high-pressure liquid chromatography (vHPLC) narrow-bore columns packed with the same particles. The results show that, for the same column efficiency (25000 plates) and gradient steepness (0.04min(-1)), the peak capacity of the 250μm i.d. capillary columns is systematically 15-20% higher than that of the 2.1mm i.d. narrow-bore columns. A validated model of gradient chromatography enabled one to predict accurately the observed peak capacities of the capillary columns for non-linear solvation strength retention behavior and under isothermal conditions. Thermodynamics applied to the eluent quantified the temperature difference for the thermal gradients in both capillary and narrow-bore columns. Experimental data revealed that the gradient peak capacity is more affected by viscous heating than the column efficiency. Unlike across 2.1mm i.d. columns, the changes in eluent composition across the 250μm i.d. columns during the gradient is rapidly relaxed by transverse dispersion. The combination of (1) the absence of viscous heating and (2) the high uniformity of the eluent composition across the diameter of capillary columns explains the intrinsic advantage of capillary over narrow-bore columns in gradient vHPLC.

The vibration and buckling of the web of the plate girder are studied in this paper. The small deflection theory of the thin plate is used. The finite strip method is employed to solve vibration and buckling of the plate girder. Natural frequenies of buckling properties are shown for various plate girder bridges.

A new method for the fabrication of covalently cross-linked capillary coatings of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is described using diazotized PEG (diazo-PEG) as a new photosensitive coating agent. The film of diazo-PEG depends on ionic bonding and was first prepared on the inner surface of capillary by self-assembly, and ionic bonding was converted into covalent bonding after reaction of ultraviolet light with diazo groups through unique photochemical reaction. The covalently bonded coating impedance adsorption of protein on the central surface of capillary and hence the four proteins ribonuclease A, cytochrome c, bovine serum albumin, and lysosome can be baseline separated by using capillary electrophoresis (CE). The covalently cross-linked diazo-PEG capillary column coatings not only improved the CE separation performance for proteins compared to non-covalently cross-linked coatings or bare capillary but also showed a remarkable chemical solidity and repeatability. Because photosensitive diazo-PEG took the place of the highly noxious and silane moisture-sensitive coating reagents in the fabrication of covalent coating, this technique shows the advantage of being environment-friendly and having a high efficiency for CE to make the covalently bonded capillaries.

We determine experimentally the angle α of maximum wave amplitude in the far-field wake behind a vertical surface-piercing cylinder translated at constant velocity U for Bond numbers Bo(D)=D/λ(c) ranging between 0.1 and 4.2, where D is the cylinder diameter and λ(c) the capillary length. In all cases the wake angle is found to follow a Mach-like law at large velocity, α∼U(-1), but with different prefactors depending on the value of Bo(D). For small Bo(D) (large capillary effects), the wake angle approximately follows the law α≃c(g,min)/U, where c(g,min) is the minimum group velocity of capillary-gravity waves. For larger Bo(D) (weak capillary effects), we recover a law α∼√[gD]/U similar to that found for ship wakes at large velocity [Rabaud and Moisy, Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 214503 (2013)]. Using the general property of dispersive waves that the characteristic wavelength of the wave packet emitted by a disturbance is of order of the disturbance size, we propose a simple model that describes the transition between these two Mach-like regimes as the Bond number is varied. We show that the new capillary law α≃c(g,min)/U originates from the presence of a capillary cusp angle (distinct from the usual gravity cusp angle), along which the energy radiated by the disturbance accumulates for Bond numbers of order of unity. This model, complemented by numerical simulations of the surface elevation induced by a moving Gaussian pressure disturbance, is in qualitative agreement with experimental measurements.

Intracerebral capillary hemangiomas are very rare benign vascular tumors that mostly occur during infancy. We described a 69-year-old man with generalized tonic-clonic seizures who was diagnosed with an intracranial mass. Multidetector computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and digital subtraction angiography studies were performed for evaluation of brain, and there was a well-enhancing mass found in the right temporal lobe without a definite feeding vessel. The patient underwent surgery and the pathologic examination demonstrated marked proliferation of small vessels with a lobular pattern in the brain parenchyma, which was confirmed to be capillary hemangioma.

Capillary origami uses surface tension to fold and shape solid films and membranes into three-dimensional structures. It uses the fact that solid surfaces, no matter how hydrophobic, will tend to adhere to and wrap around the surface of a liquid. In this work, we report that a superhydrophobic coating can be created, which can completely suppress wrapping as a contacting water droplet evaporates. We also show that using a wetting azeotropic solution of allyl alcohol, which penetrates the surface features, can enhance liquid adhesion and create more powerful Capillary Origami. These findings create the possibility of selectively shaping membrane substrates.

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) and microfluidic chip (MC) devices are relatively mature technologies, but this book demonstrates how they can be integrated into a single, revolutionary device that can provide on-site analysis of samples when laboratory services are unavailable. By introducing the combination of CE and MC technology, Microfluidic Chip-Capillary Electrophoresis Devices broadens the scope of chemical analysis, particularly in the biomedical, food, and environmental sciences.The book gives an overview of the development of MC and CE technology as well as technology that now allows

Full Text Available The paper describes a clinical case of testicular capillary hemangioma in a 24-year-old man undergone a partial resection of the testis with the intraoperative morphological examination. Testicular capillary hemangioma is a rare benign tumor of a vascular origin, which can be similar to malignant testicular tumors on the clinical presentation, as well as on the imaging methods, in particular to seminoma. The intraoperative histological study can assist in avoiding organ-removing surgical interventions in diagnostically ambiguous cases if a benign testicular tumor is diagnosed.

In recent years, human-computer interaction (HCI) has received a lot of interest in industry and science because it provides new ways to interact with modern devices through voice, body, and facial/hand gestures. The application range of the HCI is from easy control of home appliances to entertainment. Hand gesture recognition is a particularly interesting problem because the shape and movement of hands usually are complex and flexible to be able to codify many different signs. In this work we propose a three step algorithm: first, detection of hands in the current frame is carried out; second, hand tracking across the video sequence is performed; finally, robust recognition of gestures across subsequent frames is made. Recognition rate highly depends on non-uniform illumination of the scene and occlusion of hands. In order to overcome these issues we use two Microsoft Kinect devices utilizing combined information from RGB and infrared sensors. The algorithm performance is tested in terms of recognition rate and processing time.

A new approach for determining cyanide in microsamples is described. The method is based on capillary flow injection analysis (CFIA) with amperometric detection. The sensing electrode is a silver-plated microdisk electrode, where cyanide can react under formation of a dicyanoargentate complex. A remarkably low mass detection limit of 231 fmol cyanide is obtained for an injection volume of 60 nl. The sample throughput of the CFIA-arrangement is comparable with a conventional sized FIA-system. A practical application is given by analyzing the cyanide (amygdalin) concentration in apple kernels. (orig.). With 5 figs.

Face Recognition under uncontrolled illumination conditions is partly an unsolved problem. There are two categories of illumination normalization methods. The first category performs a local preprocessing, where they correct a pixel value based on a local neighborhood in the images. The second categ

Accurate preparation of illumination is critical for high-resolution optical metrology applications such as linewidth and overlay measurements. To improve the detailed evaluation and alignment of the illumination optics, we have separated Koehler illumination into three components. The three Koehler illumination components are defined as full field spatial intensity variation (Koehler factor 1), angular intensity homogeneity (Koehler factor 2), and wavefront phase/intensity homogeneity (Koehler factor 3). We have also proposed a field aperture pattern transfer method to analyze the illumination properties with respect to systematic variations, such as the shape of the source, the intensity distribution at the back focal plane, and the displacements of elements along and off the optical axis. These factors were investigated in both ideal and practical illumination systems. In particular, any angular asymmetry in the illumination proves to have a detrimental effect upon the distribution of light that illuminates the target. Wavefront asymmetry is also studied in the context of an optical system with a coherent or partially coherent light source.

LED technology will be part of the development, but hybrid illumination systems can also play an important role for the future illumination systems in the tertiary sector in the future. From the ecodesign perspective, the study points out that some of the major technological and economic challenges...

Full Text Available The influences of constant and natural illumination on antioxidant system, leukocytes differential count, speed of pubescence and life span of male laboratory rats was investigated. The changes of melatonin level secretion by constant and natural illumination leads to connected reorganization in physiological systems functioning and speed of ageing.

The relationship between pose and illumination learning in face recognition was examined in a yes-no recognition paradigm. The authors assessed whether pose training can transfer to a new illumination or vice versa. Results show that an extensive level of pose training through a face-name association task was able to generalize to a new…

Retinal images are obtained by simultaneously illuminating and imaging the retina, which is achieved using a fundus camera. This device meets low light illumination of the fundus with high resolution and reflection free images. Although the current equipment presents a sophisticated solution, it is complex to align due to the high number of off-axis components. In this work, we substitute the complex illumination system by a ring of LEDs mounted coaxially to the imaging optical system, positioning it in the place of the holed mirror of the traditional optical design. We evaluated the impact of this substitution regarding to image quality (measured through the modulation transfer function) and illumination uniformity produced by this system on the retina. The results showed there is no change in image quality and no problem was detected concerning uniformity compared to the traditional equipment. Consequently, we avoided off-axis components, easing the alignment of the equipment without reducing both image quality and illumination uniformity.

1.1 The function of the illuminator is to provide sufficient illumination and viewing capabilities for the purpose of identification and interpretation of radiographic images. This specification provides the recommended minimum requirements for Industrial Radiographic Illuminators used for viewing industrial radiographic films using transmitted light sources. 1.2 The illuminator has to ensure the same safety for personnel, or users of any electric apparatus, as specified by electrical standards applicable in the country in which the illuminator is used. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. 1.3 Values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parenthesis are provided for information only.

We present the results of the optical design and fabrication of a light-guiding plate (LGP) that utilizes sunlight to be adopted as an illumination system for photobioreactors. A solar daylighting system was employed as the light source for the LGP. We modeled the light sources (optical fiber exit ports of the solar daylighting system), a reflection film, and LGP patterns. An LGP (1000 mm × 500 mm × 10 mm) was designed and fabricated using a computerized numerical control machine. It was optimized for the average deviation of the illuminance distribution by varying the maximum pattern spacing, minimum pattern spacing, and spacing constant of the pattern spacing function expressed in the form of an exponential function. Average illuminance and uniformity of the illuminance distribution of the fabricated LGP were measured to be 8174 lx (photon flux density: 122.0 μΕ m-2 s-1) and 90.0 %, respectively.

This fluid dynamics video shows high-frequency capillary waves excited by the volumetric oscillations of microbubbles near a free surface. The frequency of the capillary waves is controlled by the oscillation frequency of the microbubbles, which are driven by an ultrasound field. Radial capillary waves produced by single bubbles and interference patterns generated by the superposition of capillary waves from multiple bubbles are shown.

The research conducted has involved a laboratory stand of a plate-type air treatment biofilter with a capillary system for humidifying packing material composed of polymer plates vertically arranged next to each other and producing a capillary effect of humidification. The pattern of arranging the plates has sufficiently large spaces (6 mm), and therefore the use of the plate-type structure decreases the aerodynamic resistance of the device. Slightly pressed slabs attached on both sides of the plates are made of heat-treated wood fibre, to increase the longevity of which, wood waste has been heat-treated in the steam explosion reactor under the pressure of 32 bars and a temperature of 235 °C. This is the method for changing the molecular structure of wood, which stops the decay of wood fibre in a humid environment and thus increases the life span of biofilter plates. The research performed has disclosed that, under the application of the above introduced structure of the biofilter, the aerodynamic resistance of the biofilter reaches 1 ÷ 5 Pa when the rate of the air flow passing through the device makes 0.08 m/s. For evaluating the reliability of the obtained results, the theoretical model has been applied.

Full Text Available Illumination problems have been an important concern in many image processing applications. The pattern of the histogram on an image introduces meaningful features; hence within the process of illumination enhancement, it is important not to destroy such information. In this paper we propose a method to enhance image illumination using Gaussian distribution mapping which also keeps the information laid on the pattern of the histogram on the original image. First a Gaussian distribution based on the mean and standard deviation of the input image will be calculated. Simultaneously a Gaussian distribution with the desired mean and standard deviation will be calculated. Then a cumulative distribution function of each of the Gaussian distributions will be calculated and used in order to map the old pixel value onto the new pixel value. Another important issue in the field of illumination enhancement is absence of a quantitative measure for the assessment of the illumination of an image. In this research work, a quantitative measure indicating the illumination state, i.e. contrast level and brightness of an image, is also proposed. The measure utilizes the estimated Gaussian distribution of the input image and the Kullback-Leibler Divergence (KLD between the estimated Gaussian and the desired Gaussian distributions to calculate the quantitative measure. The experimental results show the effectiveness and the reliability of the proposed illumination enhancement technique, as well as the proposed illumination assessment measure over conventional and state-of-the-art techniques.

Two different types of molecularly imprinted nanoparticles against (R)-propranolol were used to separate the enantiomers of propranolol in capillary electrochromatography mode, methacrylic acid based nanoparticles and core-shell molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles. Partial filling technique was used to avoid interference of molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles in UV detection. With methacrylic acid based nanoparticles it was not possible to obtain enantiomer s...

A sessile liquid drop can deform the substrate on which it rests if the solid is sufficiently “soft.” In this paper we compute the detailed spatial structure of the capillary forces exerted by the drop on the solid substrate using a model based on Density Functional Theory. We show that, in addition

In this article, we present a theory of macroscopic contact angle hysteresis by considering the minimization of the Helmholtz free energy of a solid-liquid-gas system over a convex set, subject to a constant volume constraint. The liquid and solid surfaces in contact are assumed to adhere weakly to each other, causing the interfacial energy to be set-valued. A simple calculus of variations argument for the minimization of the Helmholtz energy leads to the Young-Laplace equation for the drop surface in contact with the gas and a variational inequality that yields contact angle hysteresis for advancing/receding flow. We also show that the Young-Laplace equation with a Dirichlet boundary condition together with the variational inequality yields a basic hysteresis operator that describes the relationship between capillary pressure and volume. We validate the theory using results from the experiment for a sessile macroscopic drop. Although the capillary effect is a complex phenomenon even for a droplet as various points along the contact line might be pinned, the capillary pressure and volume of the drop are scalar variables that encapsulate the global quasistatic energy information for the entire droplet. Studying the capillary pressure versus volume relationship greatly simplifies the understanding and modeling of the phenomenon just as scalar magnetic hysteresis graphs greatly aided the modeling of devices with magnetic materials.

Capillary condensation between two two-dimensional wetted circular substrates (disks) is studied by an effective free energy description of the wetting interface. The interfacial free-energy potential is developed on the basis of the theory for the wetting of a single disk, where interfacial capi....... The theory can be applied to the description of flocculations in two-dimensional systems of colloids....

We theoretically examine the widespread hypothesis of an electroviscous origin of the increase in apparent viscosity observed in recent experiments on capillary filling of nanochannels. Including Debye-layer corrections to the hydraulic resistance, we find that the apparent viscosity reaches a ma...

Numerical simulations of two capillary barrier systems tested in the field were conducted to determine if an unsaturated flow model could accurately represent the observed results. The field data was collected from two 7-m long, 1.2-m thick capillary barriers built on a 10% grade that were being tested to investigate their ability to laterally divert water downslope. One system had a homogeneous fine layer, while the fine soil of the second barrier was layered to increase its ability to laterally divert infiltrating moisture. The barriers were subjected first to constant infiltration while minimizing evaporative losses and then were exposed to ambient conditions. The continuous infiltration period of the field tests for the two barrier systems was modelled to determine the ability of an existing code to accurately represent capillary barrier behavior embodied in these two designs. Differences between the field test and the model data were found, but in general the simulations appeared to adequately reproduce the response of the test systems. Accounting for moisture retention hysteresis in the layered system will potentially lead to more accurate modelling results and is likely to be important when developing reasonable predictions of capillary barrier behavior.

The appearance of fluid filaments during the evolution of a viscous fluid jet is a commonly observed phenomenon. It is shown here that the break-up of such a jet subject to capillary forces is impossible through the collapse of a uniform filament. PMID:12172005

The power available to microscopic robots (nanorobots) that oxidize bloodstream glucose while aggregated in circumferential rings on capillary walls is evaluated with a numerical model using axial symmetry and time-averaged release of oxygen from passing red blood cells. Robots about 1 microm in size can produce up to several tens of picowatts, in steady state, if they fully use oxygen reaching their surface from the blood plasma. Robots with pumps and tanks for onboard oxygen storage could collect oxygen to support burst power demands two to three orders of magnitude larger. We evaluate effects of oxygen depletion and local heating on surrounding tissue. These results give the power constraints when robots rely entirely on ambient available oxygen and identify aspects of the robot design significantly affecting available power. More generally, our numerical model provides an approach to evaluating robot design choices for nanomedicine treatments in and near capillaries. The power available to microscopic robots (nanorobots) that oxidize bloodstream glucose while aggregated in circumferential rings on capillary walls was evaluated in this study. The presented numerical model provides an approach to evaluating robot design choices for nanomedicine treatments in and near capillaries. Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier Inc.

This paper describes the dynamics of capillary self-alignment of components with initial shift offsets from matching receptor sites. The analysis of the full uniaxial self-alignment dynamics of foil-based mesoscopic dies from pre-alignment to final settling evidenced three distinct, sequential regim

of these assays is often challenging. Here, we explore this issue by conducting splicing assays in 31 BRCA2 genetic variants. All variants were assessed by RT-PCR followed by capillary electrophoresis and direct sequencing. If assays did not produce clear-cut outputs (Class-2 or Class-5 according to analytical...

There are numerous dark data hidden in geoscience literature. Efficient retrieval and reuse of those data will greatly benefit geoscience researches of nowadays. Among the works of data rescue, a topic of interest is illuminating the knowledge framework, i.e. entities and relationships, embedded in documents. Entity recognition and linking have received extensive attention in news and social media analysis, as well as in bioinformatics. In the domain of geoscience, however, such works are limited. We will present our work on how to use knowledge bases on the Web, such as ontologies and vocabularies, to facilitate entity recognition and linking in geoscience literature. The work deploys an un-supervised collective inference approach [1] to link entity mentions in unstructured texts to a knowledge base, which leverages the meaningful information and structures in ontologies and vocabularies for similarity computation and entity ranking. Our work is still in the initial stage towards the detection of knowledge frameworks in literature, and we have been collecting geoscience ontologies and vocabularies in order to build a comprehensive geoscience knowledge base [2]. We hope the work will initiate new ideas and collaborations on dark data rescue, as well as on the synthesis of data and knowledge from geoscience literature. References: 1. Zheng, J., Howsmon, D., Zhang, B., Hahn, J., McGuinness, D.L., Hendler, J., and Ji, H. 2014. Entity linking for biomedical literature. In Proceedings of ACM 8th International Workshop on Data and Text Mining in Bioinformatics, Shanghai, China. 2. Ma, X. Zheng, J., 2015. Linking geoscience entity mentions to the Web of Data. ESIP 2015 Summer Meeting, Pacific Grove, CA.

Herein, we report a technique for detecting the fast binding of antibody-peptide inside a capillary. Anti-HA was mixed and interacted with FAM-labeled HA tag (FAM-E4 ) inside the capillary. Fluorescence coupled capillary electrophoresis (CE-FL) was employed to measure and record the binding process. The efficiency of the antibody-peptide binding on in-capillary assays was found to be affected by the molar ratio. Furthermore, the stability of anti-HA-FAM-E4 complex was investigated as well. The results indicated that E4 YPYDVPDYA (E4) or TAMRA-E4 YPYDVPDYA (TAMRA-E4) had the same binding priorities with anti-HA. The addition of excess E4 or TAMRA-E4 could lead to partial dissociation of the complex and take a two-step mechanism including dissociation and association. This method can be applied to detect a wide range of biomolecular interactions.

The use of liposomes as coating materials in capillary electrophoresis has recently emerged as an important and popular research area. There are three preparation methods that are commonly used for coating capillaries with liposomes, namely physical adsorption, avidin-biotin binding and covalent coupling. Herein, the three different coating methods were compared, and the liposome-coated capillaries prepared by these methods were evaluated by studying systematically their EOF characterization and performance (repeatability, reproducibility and lifetime). The amount of immobilized phospholipids and the interactions between liposome or phospholipid membrane and neutral compounds for the liposome-coated capillaries prepared by these methods were also investigated in detail. Finally, the merits and disadvantages for each coating method were reviewed.

Full Text Available Although anterior cervical instrumentation was initially used in cervical trauma, because of obvious benefits, indications for its use have been expanded over time to degenerative cases as well as tumor and infection of the cervical spine. Along with a threefold increase in incidence of cervical fusion surgery, implant designs have evolved over the last three decades. Observation of graft subsidence and phenomenon of stress shielding led to the development of the new generation dynamic anterior cervical plating systems. Anterior cervical plating does not conclusively improve clinical outcome of the patients, but certainly enhances the efficacy of autograft and allograft fusion and lessens the rate of pseudoarthrosis and kyphosis after multilevel discectomy and fusions. A review of biomechanics, surgical technique, indications, complications and results of various anterior cervical plating systems is presented here to enable clinicians to select the appropriate construct design.

Ionic liquids (ILs) and polymeric ionic liquids (PILs) with unique and fascinating properties have drawn considerable interest for their use in separation science, especially in chromatographic techniques. In this article, significant contributions of ILs and PILs in the improvement of capillary electrophoresis and capillary electrochromatography are described, and a specific overview of the most relevant examples of their applications in the last five years is also given. Accordingly, some general conclusions and future perspectives in these areas are discussed.

The first chapter of this thesis presents an introduction to sol-gel methodology whose usefulness as a synthetic route will be demonstrated with two applications in chromatography. The first application involves the fabrication of a capillary micro-extraction (CME) device by coating a phenyl functionalized extracting phase on the inner surface of a fused silica capillary for analyte pre-concentration. The device was coupled on-line to a RP-HPLC system and practicality was demonstrated using allergens as target analytes. The allergens chosen as model analytes are typically found in fragrance products and food. Most of the 26 fragrance allergens that are monitored by various government authorities have a phenyl organic moiety (a strong chromophore), thus making them appropriate probes for exploring the extraction efficiency of the coating using a UV detector. The CME device showed ppt level limit of detection which makes it suitable for trace analyses of allergens and similar compounds in a variety of matrices. The second application explores the feasibility of using sol-gel derived chromia-based stationary phase in gas chromatographic columns. The organic moiety of the stationary phase was derived from Ucon 75-H-90,000 while the inorganic backbone was prepared using chromium(III) dichloride hydroxide - methacrylic acid - aqua complex, 40% in isopropanol/acetone . Usefulness of prepared chromia-based GC stationary phase was examined for petrochemical application. Promising results were obtained using aliphatic-aromatics, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, BTEX test mixture, cycloalkanes, branched alkanes and akylbenzenes. The column was able to perform without degradation despite being rinsed multiples times sequentially with the following solvents: dichloromethane, methanol, water and finally methanol again. Maximum theoretical plate number calculated is around 2,400 plates/m. The plate number clearly needs improvement but is a promising result for the newly explored

Modelling electrophoretic mobility as a function of pH can be simultaneously used for determination of ionization constants and for rapid selection of the optimum pH for separation of mixtures of the modelled compounds. In this work, equations describing the effect of pH on electrophoretic behaviour were used to investigate migration of a series of polyprotic amphoteric peptide hormones between pH 2 and 12 in polybrene-coated capillaries. Polybrene (hexadimethrin bromide) is a polymer composed of quaternary amines that is strongly adsorbed by the fused-silica inner surface, preventing undesired interactions between the peptides and the inner capillary wall. In polybrene-coated capillaries the separation voltage must be reversed, because of the anodic electroosmotic flow promoted by the polycationic polymer attached to the inner capillary wall. The possibility of using polybrene-coated capillaries for determination of accurate ionization constants has been evaluated and the optimum pH for separation of a mixture of the peptide hormones studied has been selected. Advantages and disadvantages of using bare fused-silica and polybrene-coated capillaries for these purposes are discussed.

The inks used in gravure-offset printing are non-Newtonian fluids with higher viscosities and lower surface tensions compared to Newtonian fluids. This paper examines the transfer of a non-Newtonian ink between two parallel plates when the top plate is moved upward with a constant velocity while the bottom plate is held fixed. Numerical simulations were carried out using the Carreau model to explore the behavior of a non-Newtonian ink in gravure-offset printing. The volume of fluid (VOF) model was adopted to demonstrate the stretching and break-up behaviors of the ink. The results indicate that the ink transfer ratio is greatly influenced by the contact angle, especially the contact angle at the upper plate ({alpha}). For lower values of {alpha}, oscillatory or unstable behavior of the position of minimum thickness of the ink between the two parallel plates during the stretching period is observed. This oscillation gradually diminishes as the contact angle at the upper plate is increased. Moreover, the number of satellite droplets increases as the velocity of the upper plate is increased. The surface tension of the conductive ink shows a positive impact on the ink transfer ratio to the upper plate. Indeed, the velocity of the upper plate has a significant influence on the ink transfer in gravure-offset printing when the Capillary number (Ca) is greater than 1 and the surface tension dominates over the ink transfer process when Ca is less than 1.

The Casimir effect between metal plate and dielectric plate is discussed with 1+1-dimensional potential model without using cut-off method. Calculation shows that the Casimir force between metal plate and dielectric plate is determined not only by the potential V0, the dielectric thickness and the distance α between the metal plate and dielectric plate, but also by the dimension of the vessel. When α is far less than the dimension of the vessel, the Casimir force Fc∝α（-1）; conversely Fc∝α-2. This result is significant for Casimir force experiment.

A soil hydraulic model that considers capillary hysteretic and adsorptive water retention as well as capillary and film conductivity covering the complete soil moisture range is presented. The model was obtained by incorporating the capillary hysteresis model of Parker and Lenhard into the hydraulic

This paper proposes a method for modeling and component estimation of the spectral images of the mutual illumination phenomenon between two fluorescent objects. First, we briefly describe the bispectral characteristics of a single fluorescent object, which are summarized as a Donaldson matrix. We suppose that two fluorescent objects with different bispectral characteristics are located close together under a uniform illumination. Second, we model the mutual illumination between two objects. It is shown that the spectral composition of the mutual illumination is summarized with four components: (1) diffuse reflection, (2) diffuse-diffuse interreflection, (3) fluorescent self-luminescence, and (4) interreflection by mutual fluorescent illumination. Third, we develop algorithms for estimating the spectral image components from the observed images influenced by the mutual illumination. When the exact Donaldson matrices caused by the mutual illumination influence are unknown, we have to solve a non-linear estimation problem to estimate both the spectral functions and the location weights. An iterative algorithm is then proposed to solve the problem based on the alternate estimation of the spectral functions and the location weights. In our experiments, the feasibility of the proposed method is shown in three cases: the known Donaldson matrices, weak interreflection, and strong interreflection.

Quantitative photoacoustic tomography is an emerging imaging technique aimed at estimating optical parameters inside tissues from photoacoustic images, which are formed by combining optical information and ultrasonic propagation. This optical parameter estimation problem is ill-posed and needs to be approached within the framework of inverse problems. It has been shown that, in general, estimating the spatial distribution of more than one optical parameter is a nonunique problem unless more than one illumination pattern is used. Generally, this is overcome by illuminating the target from various directions. However, in some cases, for example when thick samples are investigated, illuminating the target from different directions may not be possible. In this work, the use of spatially modulated illumination patterns at one side of the target is investigated with simulations. The results show that the spatially modulated illumination patterns from a single direction could be used to provide multiple illuminations for quantitative photoacoustic tomography. Furthermore, the results show that the approach can be used to distinguish absorption and scattering inclusions located near the surface of the target. However, when compared to a full multidirection illumination setup, the approach cannot be used to image as deep inside tissues.

Photoactivation and "optogenetics" require the precise control of the illumination path in optical microscopes. It is equally important to shape the illumination spatially as well as to have control over the intensity and the duration of the illumination. In order to achieve these goals we use programmable, diffractive Micro Mirror Arrays (MMA) as fast spatial light modulators for beam steering. By combining two MMAs with 256×256 mirrors each, our illumination setup allows for fast angular and spatial control at a wide spectral range (260-1000 nm). Illumination pulses can be as short as 50 μs, or can also extend to several seconds. The specific illumination modes of the individual areas results in a precise control over the light dose to the sample, giving significant advantage when investigating dosage dependent activation inasmuch as both the duration and the intensity can be controlled distinctly. The setup is integrated to a microscope and allows selective illumination of regions in the sample, enabling the precise, localized activation of fluorescent probes and the activation and deactivation of cellular and subcellular signaling cascades using photo activated ion channels. The high reflectivity in the UV range (up to 260nm) further allows gene silencing using UV activated constructs (e.g. caged morpholinos).

Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) have identified the need for a better understanding of radionuclide transport and retention processes in fractured rock since 1994. In the study, the first hard problem is to obtain rock fracture images of a good quality, since rock surface is very rough, and composed of complicated and multiple fractures, as a result, image acquisition is the first important. As a cooperation project between Sweden and China, we sampled a number of rock specimens for analyzing rock fracture network by visible and ultraviolet image technique, in the field. The samples are resin injected, in which way; opened fractures can be seen clearly by means of UV light illumination, and the rock surface information can be obtained by using visible optical illumination. We used different digital cameras and microscope to take images by two illuminations. From the same samples; we found that UV illumination image gives the clear information of fracture opening or closing, and the visible optical illumination gives the information of the rock surface (e.g. filling materials inside of fractures). By applying this technique, the minimum width of rock fracture 0.01 mm can be analyzed. This paper presents: (1) Rock fracture image acquiring techniques; (2) Rock fracture image acquisition by using UV light illumination and visible optical illumination; and (3) Conclusions. The studied method can be used both in the field and a laboratory.

Color image segmentation algorithms often consider object color to be a constant property of an object. If the light source dominantly exhibits a particular color, however, it becomes necessary to consider the color variation induced by the colored illuminant. This paper presents a new approach to segmenting color images that are photographed under non-white illumination conditions. It also addresses how to estimate the color of illuminant in terms of the standard RGB color values rather than the spectrum of the illuminant. With respect to the illumination axis that goes through the origin and the centroid of illuminant color clusters (prior given by the estimation process), the RGB color space is transformed into our new color coordinate system. Our new color scheme shares the intuitiveness of the HSI (HSL or HSV) space that comes from the conical (double-conical or cylindrical) structure of hue and saturation aligned with the intensity variation at its center. It has been developed by locating the ordinary RGB cube in such a way that the illumination axis aligns with the vertical axis (Z-axis) of a larger Cartesian (XYZ) space. The work in this paper uses the dichromatic reflection model [1] to interpret the physics about light and optical effects in color images. The linearity proposed in the dichromatic reflection model is essential and is well preserved in the RGB color space. By proposing a straightforward color model transduction, we suggest dimensionality reduction and provide an efficient way to analyze color images of dielectric objects under non-white illumination conditions. The feasibility of the proposed color representation has been demonstrated by our experiment that is twofold: 1) Segmentation result from a multi-modal histogram-based thresholding technique and 2) Color constancy result from discounting illumination effect further by color balancing.

We measure the color fidelity of visual scenes that are rendered under different (simulated) illuminants and shown on a calibrated LCD display. Observers make triad illuminant comparisons involving the renderings from two chromatic test illuminants and one achromatic reference illuminant shown simultaneously. Four chromatic test illuminants are used: two along the daylight locus (yellow and blue), and two perpendicular to it (red and green). The observers select the rendering having the best color fidelity, thereby indirectly judging which of the two test illuminants induces the smallest color differences compared to the reference. Both multicolor test scenes and natural scenes are studied. The multicolor scenes are synthesized and represent ellipsoidal distributions in CIELAB chromaticity space having the same mean chromaticity but different chromatic orientations. We show that, for those distributions, color fidelity is best when the vector of the illuminant change (pointing from neutral to chromatic) is parallel to the major axis of the scene's chromatic distribution. For our selection of natural scenes, which generally have much broader chromatic distributions, we measure a higher color fidelity for the yellow and blue illuminants than for red and green. Scrambled versions of the natural images are also studied to exclude possible semantic effects. We quantitatively predict the average observer response (i.e., the illuminant probability) with four types of models, differing in the extent to which they incorporate information processing by the visual system. Results show different levels of performance for the models, and different levels for the multicolor scenes and the natural scenes. Overall, models based on the scene averaged color difference have the best performance. We discuss how color constancy algorithms may be improved by exploiting knowledge of the chromatic distribution of the visual scene.

This paper studies quantitatively the generation of Lamb waves in thin bonded plates subjected to laser illumination, after considering the viscoelasticity of the adhesive layer. The displacements of such plates have been calculated in the frequency domain by using the finite element method, and the time domain response has been reconstructed by applying an inverse fast Fourier transform. Numerical results are presented showing the normal surface displacement for several configurations: a single aluminum plate, a three-layer bonded plate, and a two-layer plate. The characteristics of the laser-generated Lamb waves for each particular case have been investigated. In addition, the sensitivity of the transient responses to variations of material properties (elastic modulus, viscoelastic modulus, and thickness) of the adhesive layer has been studied in detail.

An alignment plate that is attached to a core barrel of a pressurized water reactor and fits within slots within a top plate of a lower core shroud and upper core plate to maintain lateral alignment of the reactor internals. The alignment plate is connected to the core barrel through two vertically-spaced dowel pins that extend from the outside surface of the core barrel through a reinforcement pad and into corresponding holes in the alignment plate. Additionally, threaded fasteners are inserted around the perimeter of the reinforcement pad and into the alignment plate to further secure the alignment plate to the core barrel. A fillet weld also is deposited around the perimeter of the reinforcement pad. To accomodate thermal growth between the alignment plate and the core barrel, a gap is left above, below and at both sides of one of the dowel pins in the alignment plate holes through with the dowel pins pass.

Newly acquired light detection and ranging (lidar) topographic data provide a powerful community resource for the study of landforms associated with the plate boundary faults of northern California (Figure 1). In the spring of 2007, GeoEarthScope, a component of the EarthScope Facility construction project funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, acquired approximately 2000 square kilometers of airborne lidar topographic data along major active fault zones of northern California. These data are now freely available in point cloud (x, y, z coordinate data for every laser return), digital elevation model (DEM), and KMZ (zipped Keyhole Markup Language, for use in Google EarthTM and other similar software) formats through the GEON OpenTopography Portal (http://www.OpenTopography.org/data). Importantly, vegetation can be digitally removed from lidar data, producing high-resolution images (0.5- or 1.0-meter DEMs) of the ground surface beneath forested regions that reveal landforms typically obscured by vegetation canopy (Figure 2)

In this paper, a new illumination correction model, the rotation model, is introduced. The model is based on the empirical correlation between reflectance and the illumination condition (IL). The model eliminates the dependency of reflectance on IL through rotating the data in IL-reflectance space. This model is compared with widely used cosine model and C model over a sample forest region. We found that the newly developed rotation model consistently performs best on both atmospheric uncorrected and corrected Landsat images. Index Terms Landsat, illumination correction, change detection, LEDAPS

For the 3rd time, the International Optical Design Conference (IODC) included an Illumination Design contest. This year, the contest involved designing the illuminator to project the 1950 Walt Disney "Cinderella" movie using a box of optical knick-knacks. The goal of the problem was to provide the highest screen lumens with greater than 30% uniformity. There were 12 entries from 3 different countries. Three different commercial optical/illumination design packages were used. The winning solution, provided by Alois Herkommer, provided 371 screen lumens.

The diffractive axicon for the illumination with Gaussian beams is designed. The stationary phase method and the numerical calculation are used to analyze the diffraction integral describing the diffraction field. It is shown that with the Gaussian beam illumination of a smaller beam radius, the axicon can produces the uniform-axial-intensity with the lower oscillation frequency and the smaller oscillation amplitude. In addition, with the Gaussian beam illumination of a suitable beam radius, we can achieve the more uniform central-core width.

We show that with spatially incoherent illumination, the point spread function width of an imaging interferometer like that used in full-field optical coherence tomography (FFOCT) is almost insensitive to aberrations that mostly induce a reduction of the signal level without broadening. This is demonstrated by comparison with traditional scanning OCT and wide-field OCT with spatially coherent illuminations. Theoretical analysis, numerical calculation as well as experimental results are provided to show this specific merit of incoherent illumination in full-field OCT. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that such result has been demonstrated.

Full Text Available Ambient lighting conditions, under which the packaging is viewed, in a large extent determine the visual perception of information applied on it. This study investigated how different illuminants affect the legibility of pictograms intended for application on different colored packaging. 87 participants observed the pictograms on blue, red and yellow colored backgrounds in a viewing booth which assured controlled lightning conditions. The results indicated that the legibility of pictograms varied in dependence of the used background color. The best performance was obtained by pictograms designed on a yellow background. Furthermore, it was found that the pictograms were significantly more legible under illuminant A compared to the other tested illuminants.

Full Text Available ... Create Your Plate is a simple and effective way to manage your blood glucose levels and lose weight. With ... year of delicious meals to help prevent and manage diabetes. Healthy Recipes: ... to your day with this guide. Ways to Give: Wear Your Cause on Your Sleeve - ...

The Plate Tectonics Project is a multiday, inquiry-based unit that facilitates students as self-motivated learners. Reliable Web sites are offered to assist with lessons, and a summative rubric is used to facilitate the holistic nature of the project. After each topic (parts of the Earth, continental drift, etc.) is covered, the students will…

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Full Text Available ... tax-deductible gift today can fund critical diabetes research and support vital diabetes education services that improve the ... way to manage your blood glucose levels and lose weight. With this method, you fill your plate with more non-starchy ...

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This document outlines the process used to bond monolithic fuel plates by Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP). This method was developed at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) for the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR) program. These foils have been used in a number of irradiation experiments in support of the United States Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) program.

The Plate Tectonics Project is a multiday, inquiry-based unit that facilitates students as self-motivated learners. Reliable Web sites are offered to assist with lessons, and a summative rubric is used to facilitate the holistic nature of the project. After each topic (parts of the Earth, continental drift, etc.) is covered, the students will…

Molecular dynamics simulations are used to study capillary adhesion from a nanometer scale liquid bridge between two parallel flat solid surfaces. The capillary force, Fcap, and the meniscus shape of the bridge are computed as the separation between the solid surfaces, h, is varied. Macroscopic theory predicts the meniscus shape and the contribution of liquid/vapor interfacial tension to Fcap quite accurately for separations as small as two or three molecular diameters (1-2 nm). However, the total capillary force differs in sign and magnitude from macroscopic theory for h ≲ 5 nm (8-10 diameters) because of molecular layering that is not included in macroscopic theory. For these small separations, the pressure tensor in the fluid becomes anisotropic. The components in the plane of the surface vary smoothly and are consistent with theory based on the macroscopic surface tension. Capillary adhesion is affected by only the perpendicular component, which has strong oscillations as the molecular layering changes.

This article presents the first application of gold nanoparticles deposited capillaries as pre-concentration devices for in-capillary microextraction CZE and their use for the analysis of monohydroxy-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in synthetic urine samples. The successful separation of 1-hydroxypyrene, 9-hydroxyphenanthrene, 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene (3-OHbap), 4-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene and 5-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene under a single set of electrophoretic conditions is demonstrated as well as the feasibility to obtain competitive ultraviolet absorption LOD with commercial instrumentation. Enrichment factors ranging from 87 (9-OHphe) to 100 (3-OHbap) made it possible to obtain LOD ranging from 9 ng/mL (9-OHphe and 3-OHbap) to 14 ng/mL (4-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene).

To understand capillary interactions between probe tips and nanoparticles under ambient conditions,a theoretical model of capillary forces between them is developed based on the geometric relations. It is found that the contribution of surface tension force to the total capillary force attains to similar order of magnitude as the capillary pressure force in many cases.It is also shown that the tip shape and the radial distance of the meniscus have great influence on the capillary force.The capillary force decreases with the increasing separation distances,and the variance of the contact angles may change the magnitudes of capillary forces several times at large radial distances.The applicability of the symmetric meniscus approximation is discussed.

A pre-focused X-ray beam at 12 keV and 9 keV has been used to illuminate a single-bounce capillary in order to generate a high-flux X-ray microbeam. The BioCAT undulator X-ray beamline 18ID at the Advanced Photon Source was used to generate the pre-focused beam containing 1.2 x 10(13) photons s(-1) using a sagittal-focusing double-crystal monochromator and a bimorph mirror. The capillary entrance was aligned with the focal point of the pre-focused beam in order to accept the full flux of the undulator beam. Two alignment configurations were tested: (i) where the center of the capillary was aligned with the pre-focused beam (;in-line') and (ii) where one side of the capillary was aligned with the beam (;off-line'). The latter arrangement delivered more flux (3.3 x 10(12) photons s(-1)) and smaller spot sizes (< or =10 microm FWHM in both directions) for a photon flux density of 4.2 x 10(10) photons s(-1) microm(-2). The combination of the beamline main optics with a large-working-distance (approximately 24 mm) capillary used in this experiment makes it suitable for many microprobe fluorescence applications that require a micrometer-size X-ray beam and high flux density. These features are advantageous for biological samples, where typical metal concentrations are in the range of a few ng cm(-2). Micro-XANES experiments are also feasible using this combined optical arrangement.

Light-sheet microscopy, also named selective-plane illumination microscopy, enables optical sectioning with minimal light delivered to the sample. Therefore, it allows one to gather volumetric datasets of developing embryos and other light-sensitive samples over extended times. We have configured a light-sheet microscope that, unlike most previous designs, can image samples in formats compatible with high-content imaging. Our microscope can be used with multi-well plates or with microfluidic devices. In designing our optical system to accommodate these types of sample holders we encounter large optical aberrations. We counter these aberrations with both static optical components in the imaging path and with adaptive optics. Potential applications of this microscope include studying the development of a large number of embryos in parallel and over long times with subcellular resolution and doing high-throughput screens on organisms or cells where volumetric data is necessary.

The invention concerns a device which permits the checking of dry plate batteries, where the plates are wetted with an electrolyte and therefore an off load measurement of the cell voltage is possible. This device consists of a paintbrush having normal bristles (without capillaries). In order to be able to carry small quantities of liquid (50 mg) on the bristles of the paintbrush, the paintbrush passes over a sponge, which is partly immersed in a reservoir of liquid. When placing the paintbrush on the plates to be measured, there is an ion-conducting bridge set up over the whole cell, so that the voltage produced by the cell can be measured.

A critical illumination condenser system is disclosed, particularly adapted for use in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) projection lithography based on a ring field imaging system and a laser produced plasma source. The system uses three spherical mirrors and is capable of illuminating the extent of the mask plane by scanning either the primary mirror or the laser plasma source. The angles of radiation incident upon each mirror of the critical illumination condenser vary by less than eight (8) degrees. For example, the imaging system in which the critical illumination condenser is utilized has a 200 {micro}m source and requires a magnification of 26. The three spherical mirror system constitutes a two mirror inverse Cassegrain, or Schwarzschild configuration, with a 25% area obstruction (50% linear obstruction). The third mirror provides the final pupil and image relay. The mirrors include a multilayer reflective coating which is reflective over a narrow bandwidth. 6 figs.

In computer graphic (CG), illumination rendering generated realistic effect at virtual scene is amazing. Not only plausible lighting effect is to show the relative position between of the objects, but also to reflect the material of visual appearance of the vir- tual objects. The diffuse-scene rendering reflectance credibility has gradually matured. Global illumination rendering method for the glossy material is still a challenge for the CG research. Because of the shiny materials is highly energy reflection between the com- plex light paths. Whether we trace glossy reflection paths, or use of one-reflection or multi-reflection approximate above complex il- lumination transmission is a difficult working. This paper we gather some commonly used global illumination algorithms recently year and its extension glossy scene improvements. And we introduce the limitation of classical algorithms rendering glossy scene and some extended solution. Finally, we will summarize the illumination rendering for specular scene, there are still some open prob- lems.

Full Text Available In this paper, we introduce a novel approach to estimate the illumination and reflectance of an image. The approach is based on illumination-reflectance model and wavelet theory. We use a homomorphic wavelet filter (HWF and define a wavelet quotient image (WQI model based on dyadic wavelet transform. The illumination and reflectance components are estimated by using HWF and WQI, respectively. Based on the illumination and reflectance estimation we develop an algorithm to segment sows in grayscale video recordings which are captured in complex farrowing pens. Experimental results demonstrate that the algorithm can be applied to detect the domestic animals in complex environments such as light changes, motionless foreground objects and dynamic background.

Full Text Available A simplified model for illuminance prediction has been developed to estimate the indoor level of lighting under artificial lighting. As well, illuminance in several locations of three schools has been measured under several conditions: Blinds up/lights on, blinds up/lights off, blinds down/lights on, blinds down/lights off. The experimental data of the case “blinds down/lights on” has been compared to the model developed and the results are very encouraging. The purpose of this study is to identify the level of illuminance in elementary schools classroom, to compare it to the IES requirements and the values predicted by the program developed. A parametric study has been performed to study the effect of the Light Loss Factor (LLF and the luminous power on the lighting and energy performance of the illumination system.

Full Text Available In this paper, a novel illumination invariant face recognition approach is proposed. Different from most existing methods, an additive term as noise is considered in the face model under varying illuminations in addition to a multiplicative illumination term. High frequency coefficients of Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT are discarded to eliminate the effect caused by noise. Based on the local characteristics of the human face, a simple but effective illumination invariant feature local relation map is proposed. Experimental results on the Yale B, Extended Yale B and CMU PIE demonstrate the outperformance and lower computational burden of the proposed method compared to other existing methods. The results also demonstrate the validity of the proposed face model and the assumption on noise.

We have developed a programmable illumination system capable of tracking and illuminating numerous objects simultaneously using only low-cost and reused optical components. The active feedback control software allows for a closed-loop system that tracks and perturbs objects of interest automatically. Our system uses a static stage where the objects of interest are tracked computationally as they move across the field of view allowing for a large number of simultaneous experiments. An algorithmically determined illumination pattern can be applied anywhere in the field of view with simultaneous imaging and perturbation using different colors of light to enable spatially and temporally structured illumination. Our system consists of a consumer projector, camera, 35-mm camera lens, and a small number of other optical and scaffolding components. The entire apparatus can be assembled for under 4,000. Supplemental matlab code is available to assist in the setup of the active feedback software.

Advanced split-illumination electron holography was developed by employing two biprisms in the illuminating system to split an electron wave into two coherent waves and two biprisms in the imaging system to overlap them. A focused image of an upper condenser-biprism filament was formed on the sample plane, and all other filaments were placed in its shadow. This developed system makes it possible to obtain precise reconstructed object waves without modulations due to Fresnel fringes, in addition to holograms of distant objects from reference waves. - Highlights: • Advanced split-illumination electron holography without Fresnel fringes is developed. • Two biprisms are installed in illuminating system of microscope. • High-precision holographic observations of an area locating far from the sample edge become possible.

Social living represents a major evolutionary transition. Primitively eusocial bumblebees are uniquely placed to illuminate the evolutionary route from solitary to highly eusocial insect societies, for which molecular level information is largely lacking. Additionally, bumblebees are invaluable natu...

We have developed a programmable illumination system capable of tracking and illuminating numerous objects simultaneously using only low-cost and reused optical components. The active feedback control software allows for a closed-loop system that tracks and perturbs objects of interest automatically. Our system uses a static stage where the objects of interest are tracked computationally as they move across the field of view allowing for a large number of simultaneous experiments. An algorithmically determined illumination pattern can be applied anywhere in the field of view with simultaneous imaging and perturbation using different colors of light to enable spatially and temporally structured illumination. Our system consists of a consumer projector, camera, 35-mm camera lens, and a small number of other optical and scaffolding components. The entire apparatus can be assembled for under $4,000. PMID:27642182

Document scanner illumination has evolved along with general illumination technologies. LEDs have become more and more popular as the illumination sources for document scanning. LED technologies provide a wide range of choices both in terms of structural design and spectral compositions. In this report, we examine some popular LED technologies used for document scanner. We evaluate the color rendering performance of scanner models with different illumination technologies by examining their rendering of the Macbeth ColorChecker™ in sRGB. We found that more phosphors in phosphor conversion types of white LEDs may not be necessarily advantageous in terms of scanner color rendering performance. Also CIS type of scanner may be sensitive to the peak wavelength shift and can be particularly problematic when the peaks are out of certain range.

Illumination normalization is a very important step in face recognition. In this paper we propose a simple implementation of Local Binary Patterns, which effectively reduces the variability caused by illumination changes. In combination with a likelihood ratio classifier, this illumination

Skeletal muscle viability is crucially dependent on the tissue levels of its high energy phosphates. In this study we investigated the effect of the preservation medium Perfadex and illumination with Singlet Oxygen Energy (SOE). Singlet oxygen can be produced photochemically by energy transfer from an excited photosensitizer. The energy emitted from singlet oxygen upon relaxation to its triplet state is captured as photons at 634 nm and is here referred to as SOE. Rat hind limb rectus femoris muscles were preserved for five hours at 22 degrees C in Perfadex, saline, SOE illuminated Perfadex or SOE illuminated saline. Extracts of the muscles were analysed by 31P NMR. Data were analysed using two-way analysis of variance and are given as mean values micromol/g dry weight) +/- SEM. The ATP concentration was higher (p = 0.006) in saline groups (4.52) compared with Perfadex groups (2.82). There was no statistically significant difference in PCr between the saline groups (1.25) and Perfadex groups (0.82). However, there were higher (p = 0.003) ATP in the SOE illuminated groups (4.61) compared with the non-illuminated groups (2.73). The PCr was also higher (p < 0.0001) in the SOE illuminated groups (1.89) compared with the non-illuminated groups (0.18). In conclusion, Perfadex in this experimental model was incapable of preserving the high energy phosphates in skeletal muscle during 5 hours of ischemia. Illumination with SOE at 634 nm improved the preservation potential, in terms of a positive effect on the energy status of the muscle cell.

We treat the stability issue for the three dimensional inverse imaging modality called Quantitative Photoacoustic Tomography. We provide universal choices of the illuminations which enable to recover, in a H\\"older stable fashion, the diffusion and absorption coefficients from the interior pressure data. With such choices of illuminations we do not need the nondegeneracy conditions commonly used in previous studies, which are difficult to be verified a-priori.

Abstract The colours of objects perceived by a colour camera are dependent on the illumination conditions. For example, when the prevailing illumination condition does not correspond to the one used in the white balancing of the camera, the object colours can change their appearance due to the lack of colour constancy capabilities. Many methods for colour constancy have been suggested but so far their performance has been inadequate. Faces are common and important objects encountered in ma...

An optical fiber for evenly illuminating a target. The optical fiber is coupled to a laser emitting diode and receives laser light. The la ser light travels through the fiber optic and exits at an exit end. T he exit end has a diffractive optical pattern formed thereon via etch ing, molding or cutting, to reduce the Gaussian profile present in co nventional fiber optic cables The reduction of the Gaussian provides an even illumination from the fiber optic cable.

Theoretical expressions are obtained for the capillary-pressure limit and permeability of a fibrous wick in terms of the porosity and fiber diameter. Hysteresis in capillary pressure is included through the introduction of an empirical hysteresis constant. A partial-saturation model based on the statistical distribution of local porosity requires an additional empirical constant, the standard deviation. The theory is compared to results of a beta-ray absorption experiment that measured the liquid content of a partially saturated wick and to results of permeability measurements on partially and fully saturated wicks. A simple wick-weighing experiment is described that yields values for the empirical hysteresis constant and the standard deviation. Theoretical results are used to design an optimum wick.

The power available to microscopic robots (nanorobots) that oxidize bloodstream glucose while aggregated in circumferential rings on capillary walls is evaluated with a numerical model using axial symmetry and time-averaged release of oxygen from passing red blood cells. Robots about one micron in size can produce up to several tens of picowatts, in steady-state, if they fully use oxygen reaching their surface from the blood plasma. Robots with pumps and tanks for onboard oxygen storage could collect oxygen to support burst power demands two to three orders of magnitude larger. We evaluate effects of oxygen depletion and local heating on surrounding tissue. These results give the power constraints when robots rely entirely on ambient available oxygen and identify aspects of the robot design significantly affecting available power. More generally, our numerical model provides an approach to evaluating robot design choices for nanomedicine treatments in and near capillaries.

We report experiments on the full space and time resolved statistics of capillary wave turbulence at the air-water interface. The three-dimensional shape of the free interface is measured as a function of time by using the optical method of Diffusing Light Photography associated with a fast camera. Linear and nonlinear dispersion relations are extracted from the spatio-temporal power spectrum of wave amplitude. When wave turbulence regime is reached, we observe power-law spectra both in frequency and in wave number, whose exponents are found in agreement with the predictions of capillary wave turbulence theory. Finally, the temporal dynamics of the spatial energy spectrum highlights the occurrence of stochastic bursts transferring wave energy through the spatial scales.

Capillary forces are involved in a variety of natural phenomena, ranging from droplet breakup to the physics of clouds. The forces from surface tension can also be exploited in industrial application provided the length scales involved are small enough. Recent experimental investigations showed how to take advantage of capillarity to fold planar structures into three-dimensional configurations by selectively melting polymeric hinges joining otherwise rigid shapes. In this paper we use theoretical calculations to quantify the role of geometry and fluid wetting on the final folded state. Considering folding in two and three dimensions, studying both hydrophilic and hydrophobic situations with possible contact angle hysteresis, and addressing the shapes to be folded to be successively infinite, finite, curved, kinked, elastic, we are able to derive an overview of the geometrical parameter space available for capillary folding.

When both gravity and surface tension effects are present, surface solitary water waves are known to exist in both two- and three-dimensional infinitely deep fluids. We describe here solutions bridging these two cases: travelling waves which are localized in the propagation direction and periodic in the transverse direction. These transversally periodic gravity–capillary solitary waves are found to be of either elevation or depression type, tend to plane waves below a critical transverse period and tend to solitary lumps as the transverse period tends to infinity. The waves are found numerically in a Hamiltonian system for water waves simplified by a cubic truncation of the Dirichlet-to-Neumann operator. This approximation has been proved to be very accurate for both two- and three-dimensional computations of fully localized gravity–capillary solitary waves. The stability properties of these waves are then investigated via the time evolution of perturbed wave profiles. PMID:24399922

A method for the quantification of ketoprofen, a new non-prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, in serum, by capillary zone electrophoresis for therapeutic monitoring and emergency toxicology is described. Serum is deproteinized with acetonitrile in the presence of an internal standard, to remove serum proteins and to induce sample stacking. The migration time was about 10 min. The assay was linear between 1-10 mg/l without any interferences. The method compared well to an HPLC assay. The HPLC afforded a better detection limit, but the CE was less expensive to operate. This method demonstrates that capillary electrophoresis is a simple and effective method for determination of ketoprofen as well as other drugs in human serum at levels close to 1 mg/l.

Nanotechnology-based microscopic robots could provide accurate in vivo measurement of chemicals in the bloodstream for detailed biological research and as an aid to medical treatment. Quantitative performance estimates of such devices require models of how chemicals in the blood diffuse to the devices. This paper models microscopic robots and red blood cells (erythrocytes) in capillaries using realistic distorted cell shapes. The models evaluate two sensing scenarios: robots moving with the cells past a chemical source on the vessel wall, and robots attached to the wall for longer-term chemical monitoring. Using axial symmetric geometry with realistic flow speeds and diffusion coefficients, we compare detection performance with a simpler model that does not include the cells. The average chemical absorption is quantitatively similar in both models, indicating the simpler model is an adequate design guide to sensor performance in capillaries. However, determining the variation in forces and absorption as cells...

The deposition and aggregation of particles flowing through a confined environment can dramatically hinder the transport of suspensions. Yet, the mechanisms responsible for the deposition of particles in shear flow are not fully understood. Here, we use an experimental model system in which floating particles are advected on the surface of a water channel and deposited on fixed obstacles through attractive capillary effects. By varying the flow rate of the liquid, the wetting properties and size of the particles and obstacles, we can tune the magnitude of the capillary and hydrodynamic forces that determine the probability of deposition and the equilibrium position on the substrate. We show that arrays of obstacles can be designed to efficiently capture the floating particles advected by the flow.

Leidenfrost ratchets are structures with the ability of transporting liquid droplets when heated over the critical Leidenfrost temperature. Once this temperature is reached, the droplet levitates over the surface and moves in the direction marked by the slope of the ratchet at terminal velocities around 10 cm/s. Here we provide new experiments with micron-sized ratchets, which have been produced with picosecond pulse laser ablation. In the following work, we use a simple method to measure the thrust driving droplets of capillary size over the micro-ratchets. The mechanism responsible for the force acting on the drop on superheated ratchets has been recently under debate. We extend the recently proposed 'viscous mechanism' proposed by Dupeaux et al. [Europhys. Lett., 96, 58001 (2011)] to capillary droplets and find good agreement with our measurements.

Over the past decade, Astrium has been involved in the development of capillary pumped fluid loops. In the frame of the French technological demonstrator spacecraft called STENTOR, Astrium has gained experience on capillary fluid loop design and manufacturing. After the STENTOR cylindrical evaporator type was successfully tested and qualified, Astrium has developed miniaturised fluid loops for thermal dissipation of electronic devices. For such applications, the use of a flat shape evaporator is very promising, limiting the volume and the mass of the thermal hardware. Both technologies have been submitted to a comprehensive one-g test program and will be flight-tested in the near future. Through a comparative of the reached performances, some main advantages and drawbacks of each design are listed and a definition of what should be the next generation of Astrium fluid loops is given. (author)

Pulmonary capillary hemangiomatosis is a rare entity characterized by the proliferation of capillaries into alveolar walls, interlobular septa, pleura and pulmonary interstitium, without malignant characteristics, with almost constant association with pulmonary hypertension. Until now two cases of congenital presentation have been reported in the literature. This is the third case in a newborn; he has not followed the usual pattern associated with pulmonary hypertension as occurs in most patients with this pathology; the highest incidence is among 20-40 years old. We report a preterm newborn patient of 36 weeks of gestation with progressive respiratory distress requiring mechanical ventilation by constant desaturation during his clinical evolution without clinical, radiological or ultrasonographic signs of pulmonary hypertension.

Borosilicate glass micro-capillary array substrates with 20 μm and 40 μm pores have been deposited with resistive, and secondary electron emissive, layers by atomic layer deposition to produce functional microchannel plates. Device formats of 32.7 mm and 20 cm square have been fabricated and tested in analog and photon counting modes. The tests show amplification, imaging, background rate, pulse shape and lifetime characteristics that are comparable to standard glass microchannel plates. Large area microchannel plates of this type facilitate the construction of 20 cm format sealed tube sensors with strip-line readouts that are being developed for Cherenkov light detection. Complementary work has resulted in Na2KSb bialkali photocathodes with peak quantum efficiency of 25% being made on borosilicate glass. Additionally GaN (Mg) opaque photocathodes have been successfully made on borosilicate microchannel plates.

Borosilicate glass micro-capillary array substrates with 20 {mu}m and 40 {mu}m pores have been deposited with resistive, and secondary electron emissive, layers by atomic layer deposition to produce functional microchannel plates. Device formats of 32.7 mm and 20 cm square have been fabricated and tested in analog and photon counting modes. The tests show amplification, imaging, background rate, pulse shape and lifetime characteristics that are comparable to standard glass microchannel plates. Large area microchannel plates of this type facilitate the construction of 20 cm format sealed tube sensors with strip-line readouts that are being developed for Cherenkov light detection. Complementary work has resulted in Na{sub 2}KSb bialkali photocathodes with peak quantum efficiency of 25% being made on borosilicate glass. Additionally GaN (Mg) opaque photocathodes have been successfully made on borosilicate microchannel plates.

The capillary condensation for fluids into spherical nano-cavities is analyzed within the frame of two theoretical approaches. One description is based on a widely used simplified version of the droplet model formulated for studying atomic nuclei. The other, is a more elaborated calculation performed by applying a density functional theory. The agreement between both models is examined and it is shown that a small correction to the simple fluid model improves the predictions. A connection to ...

The use of bare fused silica capillary in CE can sometimes be inconvenient due to undesirable effects including adsorption of sample or instability of the EOF. This can often be avoided by coating the inner surface of the capillary. In this work, we present and characterize two novel polyelectrolyte coatings (PECs) poly(2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl trimethylammonium iodide) (PMOTAI) and poly(3-methyl-1-(4-vinylbenzyl)-imidazolium chloride) (PIL-1) for CE. The coated capillaries were studied using a series of aqueous buffers of varying pH, ionic strength, and composition. Our results show that the investigated polyelectrolytes are usable as semi-permanent (physically adsorbed) coatings with at least five runs stability before a short coating regeneration is necessary. Both PECs showed a considerably decreased stability at pH 11.0. The EOF was higher using Good's buffers than with sodium phosphate buffer at the same pH and ionic strength. The thickness of the PEC layers studied by quartz crystal microbalance was 0.83 and 0.52 nm for PMOTAI and PIL-1, respectively. The hydrophobicity of the PEC layers was determined by analysis of a homologous series of alkyl benzoates and expressed as the distribution constants. Our result demonstrates that both PECs had comparable hydrophobicity, which enabled separation of compounds with log Po/w > 2. The ability to separate cationic drugs was shown with β-blockers, compounds often misused in doping. Both coatings were also able to separate hydrolysis products of the ionic liquid 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-ene acetate at highly acidic conditions, where bare fused silica capillaries failed to accomplish the separation.

We establish a connection between capillary floating in neutral equilibrium and the billiard ball problem. This allows us to reduce the question of floating in neutral equilibrium at any orientation with a prescribed contact angle for infinite homogeneous cylinders to a question about billiard caustics for their orthogonal cross-sections. We solve the billiard problem. As an application, we characterize the possible contact angles and exhibit an infinite family of real analytic non-round cyli...

Fosfomyein, a sodim salt of cis-(3-methyloxiranyl) phosphonic acid, was used as electrolyte in binary methanol-water media for capillary electrophoresis. The variety of electroosmotic flow with pH*,methanol concentration and ionic strength was investigated. The migration behavior of nine bases was examined under various conditions, and the separation of thymine, cytosine, 5-flurouracil, 4,6-diamino-pyrimidine, purine was accomplished.

CMOS image sensor manufacturer, AWAIBA, is providing the world's smallest digital camera modules to the world market for minimally invasive surgery and one time use endoscopic equipment. Based on the world's smallest digital camera head and the evaluation board provided to it, the aim of this paper is to demonstrate an advanced fast response dynamic control algorithm of the illumination LED source coupled to the camera head, over the LED drivers embedded on the evaluation board. Cost efficient and small size endoscopic camera modules nowadays embed minimal size image sensors capable of not only adjusting gain and exposure time but also LED illumination with adjustable illumination power. The LED illumination power has to be dynamically adjusted while navigating the endoscope over changing illumination conditions of several orders of magnitude within fractions of the second to guarantee a smooth viewing experience. The algorithm is centered on the pixel analysis of selected ROIs enabling it to dynamically adjust the illumination intensity based on the measured pixel saturation level. The control core was developed in VHDL and tested in a laboratory environment over changing light conditions. The obtained results show that it is capable of achieving correction speeds under 1 s while maintaining a static error below 3% relative to the total number of pixels on the image. The result of this work will allow the integration of millimeter sized high brightness LED sources on minimal form factor cameras enabling its use in endoscopic surgical robotic or micro invasive surgery.

Reconstructing the shape of a 3D object from multi-view images under unknown, general illumination is a fundamental problem in computer vision and high quality reconstruction is usually challenging especially when fine detail is needed and the albedo of the object is non-uniform. This paper introduces vertex overall illumination vectors to model the illumination effect and presents a total variation (TV) based approach for recovering surface details using shading and multi-view stereo (MVS). Behind the approach are the two important observations: (1) the illumination over the surface of an object often appears to be piece wise smooth and (2) the recovery of surface orientation is not sufficient for reconstructing the surface, which was often overlooked previously. Thus we propose to use TV to regularize the overall illumination vectors and use visual hull to constrain partial vertices. The reconstruction is formulated as a constrained TV-minimization problem that simultaneously treats the shape and illumination vectors as unknowns. An augmented Lagrangian method is proposed to quickly solve the TV-minimization problem. As a result, our approach is robust, stable and is able to efficiently recover high quality of surface details even when starting with a coarse model obtained using MVS. These advantages are demonstrated by extensive experiments on the state-of-the-art MVS database, which includes challenging objects with varying albedo.

Full Text Available A few % wobbling-beam illumination nonuniformity is realized in heavy ion inertial confinement fusion (HIF throughout the heavy ion beam (HIB driver pulse by a newly introduced spiraling beam axis motion in the first two rotations. The wobbling HIB illumination was proposed to realize a uniform implosion in HIF. However, the initial imprint of the wobbling HIBs was a serious problem and introduces a large unacceptable energy deposition nonuniformity. In the wobbling HIBs illumination, the illumination nonuniformity oscillates in time and space. The oscillating-HIB energy deposition may produce a time-dependent implosion acceleration, which reduces the Rayleigh-Taylor (R-T growth [Laser Part. Beams 11, 757 (1993, Nuclear Inst. Methods in Phys. Res. A 606, 152 (2009, Phys. Plasmas 19, 024503 (2012] and the implosion nonuniformity. The wobbling HIBs can be generated in HIB accelerators and the oscillating frequency may be several 100 MHz ∼ 1 GHz [Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 254801 (2010]. Three-dimensional HIBs illumination computations present that the few % wobbling HIBs illumination nonuniformity oscillates with the same wobbling HIBs frequency.

This thesis introduces a new method for simulating photon mapping in realtime. The method uses a variety of both CPU and GPU based algorithms for speeding up the different elements in global illumination. The idea behind the method is to calculate each illumination element individually in a progr......This thesis introduces a new method for simulating photon mapping in realtime. The method uses a variety of both CPU and GPU based algorithms for speeding up the different elements in global illumination. The idea behind the method is to calculate each illumination element individually...... in a progressive and efficient manner. This has been done by analyzing the photon mapping method and by selecting efficient methods, either CPU based or GPU based, which replaces the original photon mapping algorithms. We have chosen to focus on the indirect illumination and the caustics. In our method we first...... divide the photon map into several photon maps in order to make local updates possible. Then indirect illumination is added using light maps that are selectively updated by using selective photon tracing on the CPU. The final gathering step is calculated by using fragment programs and GPU based...

Image enhancement plays an important role in image processing and analysis. Among various enhancement algorithms, Retinex-based algorithms can efficiently enhance details and have been widely adopted. Since Retinex-based algorithms regard illumination removal as a default preference and fail to limit the range of reflectance, the naturalness of non-uniform illumination images cannot be effectively preserved. However, naturalness is essential for image enhancement to achieve pleasing perceptual quality. In order to preserve naturalness while enhancing details, we propose an enhancement algorithm for non-uniform illumination images. In general, this paper makes the following three major contributions. First, a lightness-order-error measure is proposed to access naturalness preservation objectively. Second, a bright-pass filter is proposed to decompose an image into reflectance and illumination, which, respectively, determine the details and the naturalness of the image. Third, we propose a bi-log transformation, which is utilized to map the illumination to make a balance between details and naturalness. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can not only enhance the details but also preserve the naturalness for non-uniform illumination images.

Systems and methods are described for off-axis illumination direct-to-digital holography. A method of recording an off-axis illuminated spatially heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes for Fourier analysis, includes: reflecting a reference beam from a reference mirror at a non-normal angle; reflecting an object beam from an object at an angle with respect to an optical axis defined by a focusing lens; focusing the reference beam and the object beam at a focal plane of a digital recorder to form the off-axis illuminated spatially heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes for Fourier analysis; digitally recording the off-axis illuminated spatially heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes for Fourier analysis; Fourier analyzing the recorded off-axis illuminated spatially heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes by transforming axes of the recorded off-axis illuminated spatially heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes in Fourier space to sit on top of a heterodyne carrier frequency defined as an angle between the reference beam and the object beam; applying a digital filter to cut off signals around an original origin; and then performing an inverse Fourier transform.

A novel concept for stable coating in capillary electrophoresis, based on recrystallization of surface layer proteins on hydrophobized fused silica capillaries, was demonstrated. Surface layer protein A (SlpA) from Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria was extracted, purified and used for coating pre-silanized glass substrates presenting different surface wettabilities (either hydrophobic or hydrophilic). Contact angle determination on SlpA-coated hydrophobic silica slides showed that the surfaces turned to hydrophilic after coating (53 ± 5°), due to a protein monolayer formation by protein-surface hydrophobic interactions. Visualization by atomic force microscopy demonstrated the presence of a SlpA layer on methylated silica slides displaying a surface roughness of 0.44 ± 0.02 nm. Additionally, a protein layer was visualized by fluorescence microscopy in methylated silica capillaries coated with SlpA and fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled. The SlpA-coating showed an outstanding stability, even after treatment with 20 mM NaOH (pH 12.3). The electroosmotic flow in coated capillaries showed a partial suppression at pH 7.50 (3.8 ± 0.5 10{sup −9} m{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}) when compared with unmodified fused silica (5.9 ± 0.1 10{sup −8} m{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}). To demonstrate the potential of this novel coating, the SlpA-coated capillaries were applied for the first time for electrophoretic separation, and proved to be very suitable for the isotachophoretic separation of lipoproteins in human serum. The separations showed a high degree of repeatability (absolute migration times with 1.1–1.8% coefficient-of-variation (CV) within a day) and 2–3% CV inter-capillary reproducibility. The capillaries were stable for more than 100 runs at pH 9.40, and showed to be an exceptional alternative for challenging electrophoretic separations at long-term use. - Highlights: • New coating using recrystallized surface-layer proteins on

This paper demonstrates the fabrication and performance of a capillary electrophoresis (CE) chip with a UV-assisted roll-to-plate fabrication mechanism. Patterning and lamination of the chip can be performed with fabrication speeds of up to 19 m/min (ca. 20 chips/min), offering a rapid and simple...... production method for medium to high volume chip fabrication. The performance of the CE chip is demonstrated with an electrophoretic separation of two different fluorescent dyes....

CE is known for being one of the most powerful analytical techniques when performing enantioseparations due to its numerous advantages such as excellent separation efficiency and extremely low solvents and reagents consumption, all of them derived from the capillary small dimensions. Moreover, it is worth highlighting that unlike in chromatographic techniques, in CE the chiral selector is generally within the separation medium instead of being attached to the separation column which makes the method optimization a more versatile task. Despite its numerous advantages, when using UV-Vis detection, CE lacks of sensitivity detection due to its short optical path length derived from the narrow separation capillary. This issue can be overcome by means of different approaches, either by sample treatment procedures or by in-capillary preconcentration techniques or even by employing detection systems more sensitive than UV-Vis, such as LIF or MS. The present review assembles the latest contributions regarding improvements of sensitivity in chiral CE published from June 2013 until May 2015, which follows the works included in a previous review reported by Sánchez-Hernández et al. [Electrophoresis 2014, 35, 12-27].

We have used the capillary suspension phenomenon to design conductive pastes for printed electronic applications, such as front side metallization of solar cells, without non-volatile, organic additives that often deteriorate electrical properties. Adding a small amount of a second, immiscible fluid to a suspension creates a network of liquid bridges between the particles. This capillary force-controlled microstructure allows for tuning the flow behavior in a wide range. Yield stress and low-shear viscosity can be adjusted such that long-term stability is provided by inhibiting sedimentation, and, even more importantly, narrow line widths and high aspect ratios are accessible. These ternary mixtures, called capillary suspensions, exhibit a strong degree of shear thinning that allows for conventional coating or printing equipment to be used. Finally, the secondary fluid, beneficial for stability and processing of the wet paste, completely evaporates during drying and sintering. Thus, we obtained high purity silver and nickel layers with a conductivity two times greater than could be obtained with state-of-the-art, commercial materials. This revolutionary concept can be easily applied to other systems using inorganic or even organic conductive particles and represents a fundamental paradigm change to the formulation of pastes for printed electronics.

The process of capillary condensation/evaporation in cylindrical pores is considered within the idea of symmetry breaking. Capillary condensation/evaporation is treated as a morphological transition between the wetting film configurations of different symmetry. We considered two models: (i) the classical Laplace theory of capillarity and (ii) the Derjaguin model which takes into account the surface forces expressed in terms of the disjoining pressure. Following the idea of Everett and Haynes, the problem of condensation/evaporation is considered as a transition from bumps/undulations to lenses. Using the method of phase portraits, we discuss the mathematical mechanisms of this transition hidden in the Laplace and Derjaguin equations. Analyzing the energetic barriers of the bump and lens formation, it is shown that the bump formation is a prerogative of capillary condensation: for the vapor-liquid transition in a pore, the bump plays the same role as the spherical nucleus in a bulk fluid. We show also that the Derjaguin model admits a variety of interfacial configurations responsible for film patterning at specific conditions.

A density-functional study of capillary condensation of fluids of short-chain molecules confined to slitlike pores is presented. The molecules are modeled as freely jointed tangent spherical segments with a hard core and with short-range attractive interaction between all the segments. We investigate how the critical parameters of capillary condensation of the fluid change when the pore width decreases and eventually becomes smaller than the nominal linear dimension of the single-chain molecule. We find that the dependence of critical parameters for a fluid of dimers and of tetramers on pore width is similar to that of the monomer fluid. On the other hand, for a fluid of chains consisting of a larger number of segments we observe an inversion effect. Namely, the critical temperature of capillary condensation decreases with increasing pore width for a certain interval of values of the pore width. This anomalous behavior is also influenced by the interaction between molecules and pore walls. We attribute this behavior to the effect of conformational changes of molecules upon confinement.

Full Text Available To define structural and functional changes of skin capillaries in women of different age groups in this work intraoperational biopsy material of skin of 205 women at the age from 19 to 75 years, that was taken during standard surgery instrumentations for different defects of face and neck skin correction, was investigated. Skin material of cheek face region, temple region of head and anterior neck region was morphologically processed. To define parameters of dermal capillars and spatial reconstruction of intrapapillary capillary loops, serial sections was investigated with the help of morphometry. It was determined, that microcirculation age changes include structural disorders of intrapapillary capillary loops. Essential struc-tural and functional changes observed in skin of cheek region in women of 33-40 years and in temple region of head and anterior neck region in women of 41-50 years. It is typical at the patients with nicotinic dependence, ischemic heart disease, hypertonic disease, a diabetes, and also adiposity of a different degree essential infringement of microvessels bed structure of a skin that gives the basis for allocation of the given contingent of patients as group high intraoperative and postoperative risk at carrying out of operative interventions for correction of face skin involutive changes.

Capillary forces play an active role in defining the equilibrium structure of nanoscale structures. This effect can be especially pronounced in soft materials such as polymers near or above their glass transition temperature Tg where material flow is possible. In these situations, the effect of surface tension can produce varied and complex capillary instabilities, even in relatively simple geometries such as parallel line-space grating patterns. Here we investigate a novel capillary instability that arises in polystyrene line-space gratings with a residual layer connecting these structures (created by nanoimprint lithography) upon thermal annealing of these patterns. This novel instability is characterized by the development of lateral undulations of the lines that culminates in the local coalescence of adjacent imprinted lines. An exact analytic model of this undulatory instability is not possible, but we introduce a simple physical model for this lateral instability based on the driving force to reduce the surface energy, as in the well-known Rayleigh-Plateau instability which is likewise surface energy driven. Good agreement is obtained between this simplified model and our observations. Our insights into the nature of this instability have implications for controlling the thermal stability of nanoscale patterns made by nanoimprint lithography or other lithography techniques.

We consider the capillary adhesion produced by a drop placed between two elastic fibers. We measure the force exerted by the drop as we vary the inter-fiber distance, and report two types of wet adhesion: a weak capillary adhesion, where a liquid drop bridges the fibers, and a strong elastocapillary adhesion where the liquid is spread between two collapsed fibers. The weak adhesion is characterized by a force that increases linearly with the liquid length. With flexible fibers, the force exerted by the drop can induce deformation and rapid collapse, or zipping, of the fibers. This zipping results in a sudden increase of the wetted length and a force that departs from the linear evolution. As the inter-fiber distance is subsequently increased, the liquid length decreases while the fibers deformation increases, and the force actually reaches a plateau, i.e. remains constant until unzipping, or detachment of the fibers occurs. We measure the value of this plateau, i.e. the maximal adhesion force, as we vary the drop volume and the fibers elasticity. We also show that flexibility extends capillary adhesion to inter-fiber distances impossible to reach with rigid fibers, while keeping a constant pull-out force characteristic of the elastocapillary coupling.

This paper aims to express the relation of a measure of laminate plate stiffness with respect to the fiber orientation of its plies. The inverse of the scalar product of the lateral displacement of the central plane and lateral loading of the plate is the measure of laminate plate stiffness. In the case of a simply supported rectangular laminate plate this measure of stiffness is maximized, and the optimum orientation of its plies is searched.

An improved streak camera in which a microchannel plate electron multiplier is used in place of or in combination with the photocathode used in prior streak cameras. The improved streak camera is far more sensitive to photons (UV to gamma-rays) than the conventional x-ray streak camera which uses a photocathode. The improved streak camera offers gamma-ray detection with high temporal resolution. It also offers low-energy x-ray detection without attenuation inside the cathode. Using the microchannel plate in the improved camera has resulted in a time resolution of about 150 ps, and has provided a sensitivity sufficient for 1000 KeV x-rays.

equations for such a flow regiae. For laainar flow and Moderate teaperature differwwe« between the well «nd coolant, a aodifled Sieder -Tate...con- figuration. The heat-transfer coefficients, therefore, were determined by using both the Sieder -Tate and McAdams equations and the coaputed...values used In the analytical predictions. As with th* previous cold Plates, the Sieder -Tate equation gave too low of values for the heat- transfer

The dynamic finite element method was used to investigate elastic stress waves in a plate. Strain displacement and stress strain relations are discussed along with the stiffness and mass matrix. The results of studying point load, and distributed load over small, intermediate, and large radii are reported. The derivation of finite element matrices, and the derivation of lumped and consistent matrices for one dimensional problems with Laplace transfer solutions are included. The computer program JMMSPALL is also included.

The present paper is concerned with steady-state plate tearing by a cone. This is a scenario where a cone is forced through a ductile metal plate with a constant lateral tip penetration in a motion in the plane of the plate. The considered process could be an idealisaton of the damage, which...

The present paper is concerned with steady-state plate tearing by a cone. This is a scenario where a cone is forced through a ductile metal plate with a constant lateral tip penetration in a motion in the plane of the plate. The considered process could be an idealisation of the damage, which...

Full Text Available Capillary number theory is very important for chemical flooding enhanced oil recovery. The difference between microscopic capillary number and the microscopic one is easy to confuse. After decades of development, great progress has been made in capillary number theory and it has important but sometimes incorrect application in EOR. The capillary number theory was based on capillary tube bundles and Darcy’s law hypothesis, and this should always be kept in mind when used in chemical flooding EOR. The flow in low permeability porous media often shows obvious non-Darcy effects, which is beyond Darcy’s law. Experiments data from ASP flooding and SP flooding showed that remaining oil saturation was not always decreasing as capillary number kept on increasing. Relative permeability was proved function of capillary number; its rate dependence was affected by capillary end effects. The mobility control should be given priority rather than lowering IFT. The displacement efficiency was not increased as displacement velocity increased as expected in heavy oil chemical flooding. Largest capillary number does not always make highest recovery in chemical flooding in heterogeneous reservoir. Misuse of CDC in EOR included the ignorance of mobility ratio, Darcy linear flow hypothesis, difference between microscopic capillary number and the microscopic one, and heterogeneity caused flow regime alteration. Displacement of continuous oil or remobilization of discontinuous oil was quite different.

The pore radius (i.e., capillary radius) and contact angle determine the capillary pressure generated in a porous medium. The most common method to determine these two parameters is through measurement of the capillary pressure generated by a reference liquid (i.e., a liquid with near-zero contact angle) and a test liquid. The rate of rise technique, commonly used to determine the capillary pressure, results in significant uncertainties. In this study, we utilize a recently developed technique for independently measuring the capillary pressure and permeability to determine the equivalent minimum capillary radii and contact angle of water within micropillar wick structures. In this method, the experimentally measured dryout threshold of a wick structure at different wicking lengths is fit to Darcy's law to extract the maximum capillary pressure generated by the test liquid. The equivalent minimum capillary radii of different wick geometries are determined by measuring the maximum capillary pressures generated using n-hexane as the working fluid. It is found that the equivalent minimum capillary radius is dependent on the diameter of pillars and the spacing between pillars. The equivalent capillary radii of micropillar wicks determined using the new method are found to be up to 7 times greater than the current geometry-based first-order estimates. The contact angle subtended by water at the walls of the micropillars is determined by measuring the capillary pressure generated by water within the arrays and the measured capillary radii for the different geometries. This mean contact angle of water is determined to be 54.7°.

Accurate estimation of the amount and timing of water flux through melting snowpacks is important for runoff prediction in cold regions. Most existing snowmelt models only account for one-dimensional matrix flow and neglect to simulate the formation of preferential flow paths. Consideration of lateral and preferential flows has proven critical to improve the performance of soil and groundwater porous media flow models. A two-dimensional physically-based snowpack model that simulates snowmelt, refreezing of meltwater, heat and water flows, and preferential flow paths is presented. The model assumes thermal equilibrium between solid and liquid phases and uses recent snow physics advances to estimate snowpack hydraulic and thermal properties. For the first time, capillary hysteresis is accounted in a snowmelt model. A finite volume method is applied to solve for the 2D coupled heat and mass transfer equations. The model with capillary hysteresis provided better simulations of water suction at the wet to dry snow interface in a wetting snow sample than did a model that only accounted for the boundary drying curve. Capillary hysteresis also improved simulations of preferential flow path dynamics and the snowpack discharge hydrograph. Simulating preferential flow in a subfreezing snowpack allowed the model to generate ice layers, and increased the vertical exchange of energy, thus modelling a faster warming of the snowpack than would be possible without preferential flow. The model is thus capable of simulating many attributes of heterogeneous natural melting snowpacks. These features not only qualitatively improve water flow simulations, but improve the understanding of snowmelt flow processes for both level and sloping terrain, and illuminate how uncertainty in snowmelt-derived runoff calculations might be reduced through the inclusion of more realistic preferential flow through snowpacks.

A new in-capillary derivatization method with naphtalene-2,3-dicarboxyaldehyde (NDA)/CN(-) has been developed for capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection of brain microdialysate amino acids. Samples are sandwiched between two plugs of reagent mixture at the capillary inlet and subsequently separated. Highest derivatization yields are obtained by using a reagent to sample plug length ratio equal to 4, performing a first electrophoretic mixing followed by a zero potential amplification step before applying the separation voltage and using a NaCN to NDA concentration ratio equal to 1. This new single-step methodology allows the analysis of amino acid neurotransmitters in rat brain microdialysis samples.

A method with the ability to increase greatly both the resolution and efficiency of a given capillary electrophoretic system is described. This method differs from traditional capillary electrophoresis (CE) in that a counterflow is induced in the direction opposite to the electrokinetic migration of the analyte. This has the effect of extending not only the time the analytes migrate in the electric field but also the effective length and the effective applied voltage of the system. Previous work in our group with flow counterbalanced capillary electrophoresis has utilized an open tube of small inner diameter to reduce peak broadening caused by hydrodynamic flow. Narrow-diameter capillaries (5-10 microm) restricted analysis to fluorescent analytes and laser-induced fluorescence detection. The method described here uses a capillary of much larger inner diameter (75 microm) that has been packed with nonporous silica particles. The packing material reduces the amount of band broadening caused by pressure-induced flow relative to that experienced in an open tube. A larger diameter capillary allows the detection of analytes by UV absorption, not only eliminating the need to tag analytes with fluorescent tags but also allowing for the detection of a much broader range of analytes. The system was evaluated by studying the separations of several enantiomers using only beta-cyclodextrin as the chiral selector. The system was also used to resolve the two naturally occurring isotopes of bromine and to resolve phenylalanine from phenylalanine-d8. Relative to traditional CE, large improvements in resolution and separation efficiency have been achieved with this method.

The dynamics of capillary climb of a wetting liquid into a porous medium that is opposed by gravity force is studied numerically. We use the capillary network model, in which an actual porous medium is represented as a network of pores and throats, each following a predefined size distribution function. The liquid potential in the pores along the liquid interface within the network is calculated as a result of capillary and gravity forces. The solution is general, and accounts for changes in the climbing height and climbing velocity. The numerical results for the capillary climb reveal that there are at least two distinct flow mechanisms. Initially, the flow is characterized by high climbing velocity, in which the capillary force is higher than the gravity force, and the flow is the viscous force dominated. For this single-phase flow, the Washburn equation can be used to predict the changes of climbing height over time. Later, for longer times and larger climbing height, the capillary and gravity forces become comparable, and one observes a slower increase in the climbing height as a function of time. Due to the two forces being comparable, the gas-liquid sharp interface transforms into flow front, where the multiphase flow develops. The numerical results from this study, expressed as the climbing height as a power law function of time, indicate that the two powers, which correspond to the two distinct mechanisms, differ significantly. The comparison of the powers with experimental data indicates good agreement. Furthermore, the power value from the Washburn solution is also analyzed, where it should be equal to 1/2 for purely viscous force driven flow. This is in contrast to the power value of ∼0.43 that is found experimentally. We show from the numerical solution that this discrepancy is due to the momentum dissipation on the liquid interface.

Full Text Available A new combined understanding of plate tectonics, Earth internal structure, and the role of impulse in deformation of the Earth's crust is presented. Plate accelerations and decelerations have been revealed by iterative filtering of the quaternion history for the Euler poles that define absolute plate motion history for the past 68 million years, and provide an unprecedented precision for plate angular rotation variations with time at 2-million year intervals. Stage poles represent the angular rotation of a plate's motion between adjacent Euler poles, and from which the maximum velocity vector for a plate can be determined. The consistent maximum velocity variations, in turn, yield consistent estimates of plate accelerations and decelerations. The fact that the Pacific plate was shown to accelerate and decelerate, implied that conservation of plate tectonic angular momentum must be globally conserved, and that is confirmed by the results shown here (total angular momentum ~1.4 E+27 kgm2s−1. Accordingly, if a plate decelerates, other plates must increase their angular momentums to compensate. In addition, the azimuth of the maximum velocity vectors yields clues as to why the "bend" in the Emperor-Hawaiian seamount trend occurred near 46 Myr. This report summarizes processing results for 12 of the 14 major tectonic plates of the Earth (except for the Juan de Fuca and Philippine plates. Plate accelerations support the contention that plate tectonics is a product of torques that most likely are sustained by the sinking of positive density anomalies due to phase changes in subducted gabbroic lithosphere at depth in the upper lower mantle (above 1200 km depth. The tectonic plates are pulled along by the sinking of these positive mass anomalies, rather than moving at near constant velocity on the crests of convection cells driven by rising heat. These results imply that spreading centers are primarily passive reactive

Full Text Available The vehicle license plate recognition system has greater efficiency for vehicle monitoring in automatic zone access control. This Plate recognition system will avoid special tags, since all vehicles possess a unique registration number plate. A number of techniques have been used for car plate characters recognition. This system uses neural network character recognition and pattern matching of characters as two character recognition techniques. In this approach multilayer feed-forward back-propagation algorithm is used. The performance of the proposed algorithm has been tested on several car plates and provides very satisfactory results.

We use high-resolution altimetry data obtained by the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter instrument onboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to characterize present illumination conditions in the polar regions of the Moon. Compared to previous studies, both the spatial and temporal extent of the simulations are increased significantly, as well as the coverage (fill ratio) of the topographic maps used, thanks to the 28 Hz firing rate of the five-beam instrument. We determine the horizon elevation in a number of directions based on 240 m-resolution polar digital elevation models reaching down to 75 latitude. The illumination of both polar regions extending to 80 can be calculated for any geometry from those horizon longitudinal profiles. We validated our modeling with recent Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Wide-Angle Camera images. We assessed the extent of permanently shadowed regions (PSRs, defined as areas that never receive direct solar illumination), and obtained total areas generally larger than previous studies (12,866 and 16,055 km2, in the north and south respectively). We extended our direct illumination model to account for singly-scattered light, and found that every PSR does receive some amount of scattered light during the year. We conducted simulations over long periods (several 18.6-years lunar precession cycles) with a high temporal resolution (6 h), and identified the most illuminated locations in the vicinity of both poles. Because of the importance of those sites for exploration and engineering considerations, we characterized their illumination more precisely over the near future. Every year, a location near the Shackleton crater rim in the south polar region is sunlit continuously for 240 days, and its longest continuous period in total darkness is about 1.5 days. For some locations small height gains ( 10 m) can dramatically improve their average illumination and reduce the night duration, rendering some of those particularly attractive energy-wise as

Fluorescence molecular tomography is a powerful tool for 3D visualization of molecular targets and pathways in vivo in small animals. Owing to the high degrees of absorption and scattering of light through tissue, the fluorescence tomographic inverse problem is inherently ill-posed. In order to improve source localization and the conditioning of the light propagation model, multiple sets of data are acquired by illuminating the animal surface with different spatial patterns of near-infrared light. However, the choice of these patterns in most experimental setups is ad hoc and suboptimal. This paper presents a systematic approach for designing efficient illumination patterns for fluorescence tomography. Our objective here is to determine how to optimally illuminate the animal surface so as to maximize the information content in the acquired data. We achieve this by improving the conditioning of the Fisher information matrix. We parameterize the spatial illumination patterns and formulate our problem as a constrained optimization problem that, for a fixed number of illumination patterns, yields the optimal set of patterns. For geometric insight, we used our method to generate a set of three optimal patterns for an optically homogeneous, regular geometrical shape and observed expected symmetries in the result. We also generated a set of six optimal patterns for an optically homogeneous cuboidal phantom set up in the transillumination mode. Finally, we computed optimal illumination patterns for an optically inhomogeneous realistically shaped mouse atlas for different given numbers of patterns. The regularized pseudoinverse matrix, generated using the singular value decomposition, was employed to reconstruct the point spread function for each set of patterns in the presence of a sample fluorescent point source deep inside the mouse atlas. We have evaluated the performance of our method by examining the singular value spectra as well as plots of average spatial

Does the size of a plate influence the serving of all items equally, or does it influence the serving of some foods - such as meat versus vegetables - differently? To examine this question, we used the new method of plate mapping, where people drew a meal on a paper plate to examine sensitivity to small versus large three-compartment divided plates in portion size and meal composition in a sample of 109 university students. The total drawn meal area was 37% bigger on large plates than small plates, which showed that the portion of plate coverage did not differ by plate size. Men and women drew bigger vegetable portions and men drew bigger meat portions on large plates when compared to small plates. These results suggest that men and women are differentially sensitive to plate size for overall meal size and for meal composition. Implications for decreasing portion size and improving meal balance are that plate size may influence portion size and change the proportions of foods served.

The behaviour of Tillandsia capillaris Ruiz and Pav. f. capillaris, when exposed to atmospheric pollutants, was assessed by measuring chemical parameters indicating foliar damage and the contents of some heavy metals. Samples were transplanted to three sites in the City of Cordoba and were collected back after 15, 30, 60 and 90 days of exposure. At the same time, samples coming from the collection site were analyzed for each of said exposure times. Chlorophylls, hydroperoxy conjugated dienes, water contents, malondialdehyde, sulfur, Cu, Pb, Ni, Co, Mn, Zn and Fe were measured in the samples. A Foliar Damage Index was calculated from some of these parameters. (orig.)

The overall goal of our program is to develop a robust, high throughput, fully automated DNA sequencing instrument based on replaceable polymer solutions using a multicapillary array. Significant effort has already been devoted to column and polymer chemistry in order to obtain long read lengths per run in fast analysis time. In this paper we report on progress in instrument considerations and data processing software. A simple instrument design, based on no moving parts for continuous illumination of the capillaries and detection of the fluorescent light was used for this study. Our polymer solution replacement system with the permanent connection between the buffer/chamber manifold and capillary columns on the detector side is designed to prevent the trapping of air bubbles during matrix solution replacement. A special construction of a column-electrode couple on the injection side precludes air trapping during sample injection from small sample volumes. Our in-house software now features the significant reduction of the crosstalk signal from neighbor columns, which may be a potential problem in densely packed large capillary array sequencers.

Full Text Available New experimental apparatus for measurement of the surface tension of liquids under the metastable supercooled state has been designed and assembled in the study. The measuring technique is similar to the method employed by P.T. Hacker [NACA TN 2510] in 1951. A short liquid thread of the liquid sample was sucked inside a horizontal capillary tube partly placed in a temperature-controlled glass chamber. One end of the capillary tube was connected to a setup with inert gas which allowed for precise tuning of the gas overpressure in order of hundreds of Pa. The open end of the capillary tube was precisely grinded and polished before the measurement in order to assure planarity and perpendicularity of the outer surface. The liquid meniscus at the open end was illuminated by a laser beam and observed by a digital camera. Application of an increasing overpressure of the inert gas at the inner meniscus of the liquid thread caused variation of the outer meniscus such that it gradually changed from concave to flat and subsequently convex shape. The surface tension at the temperature of the inner meniscus could be evaluated from the overpressure corresponding to exactly planar outer meniscus. Detailed description of the new setup together with results of the preliminary tests is provided in the study.

Triazines are widely used in agriculture around the world as selective pre- and post-emergence herbicides for the control of broad leaf and grassy weeds. With high toxicity and persistence, triazines can contaminate the environment and crops, so the development of rapid and sensitive methods for the determination of different triazines is necessary. Capillary electrophoresis comprises a group of techniques used to separate chemical mixtures. Analytical separation is based on different electrophoretic mobilities. This review focuses on the analysis of triazine herbicides with different modes of capillary electrophoresis, including capillary zone electrophoresis, micellar electrokinetic capillary electrophoresis, capillary electrochromatography and nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis. Determinations of triazines in various matrices such as surface water, groundwater, vegetables, soil and grains are emphasized.

Capillary fringe fluctuations due to changing water tables lead to displacement of air-water interfaces in soils and sediments. These moving air-water interfaces can mobilize colloids. We visualized colloids interacting with moving air-water interfaces during capillary fringe fluctuations by confocal microscopy. We simulated capillary fringe fluctuations in a glass-bead filled column. Confocal images showed that the capillary fringe fluctuations affect colloid transport behavior. Hydrophilic negatively-charged colloids initially suspended in the aqueous phase were deposited at the solid-water interface after a drainage passage, but then were removed by subsequent capillary fringe fluctuations. The colloids that were initially attached to the wet or dry glass bead surface were detached by moving air-water interfaces in the capillary fringe. Hydrophilic negatively-charged colloids did not attach to static air-bubbles, but hydrophobic negatively-charged and hydrophilic positively-charged colloids did.

Full Text Available Based on numerical calculation with Matlab, the study on cooling process after plate rolling is carried out, and the temperature field distribution of the plate varying with the time is obtained. The effects of the plate thickness, final rolling temperature, cooling water temperature, average flow rate of the cooling water, carbon content of the plate and cooling method on the plate surface and central temperatures as well as final cooling temperature are discussed. For the same cooling time, the plate surface and central temperatures as well as their temperature difference increase; with the decrease in rolling temperature and the increase in average flow rate of the cooling water, the plate surface and central temperatures decrease. Compared with the single water cooling process, the temperature difference between the plate centre and surface based on intermittent cooling is lower. In this case, the temperature uniformity of the plate is better, and the corresponding thermal stress is lower. The fitting equation of the final cooling temperature with respect to plate thickness, final rolling temperature, cooling water temperature and average flow rate of the cooling water is obtained.

From the onset of plate tectonics, the existence of most of the plates was never put in doubt, although the boundaries of some plates, like Africa, were later revised. There are however, two microplates in northeast Asia, the Amurian and Okhotsk, whose existence and the sense of rotation was revised several times. The rms value of plate-residual GPS velocities is 0.5-0.9 mm/a for sets of stations representing the motion of the following plates: Antarctic, Australian, Eurasian, North American, Nubian, Pacific, and South American. This value can be regarded as an upper bound on deviation of real plates from infinite stiffness. The rms value of plate-residual GPS velocities is 1.2-1.8 mm/a for the Indian, Nazca, and Somalian plates. Higher rms values for India and Nazca are attributed to the noisier data. The higher rms value for Somalia appears to arise from the distributed deformation to the east of the East African Rift; whether this statement is true can only be decided from observations of denser network in the future. From the analysis of plate-residual GPS velocities, the Canadian Arctic and northeastern Siberia belong to the North American plate. The detailed GPS survey on Sakhalin Island shows that the Sea of Okhotsk region also belongs to the North American plate while the region to the west of it belongs to the Eurasian plate. These results provide a constraint on the geometry of the North American plate and put in doubt the existence of smaller plates in northeast Asia.

Full Text Available We report results concerning the fractal dimension of a air/fluid interface formed during the capillary rising of a fluid into a dense granular media. The system consists in a modified Hele-Shaw cell filled with grains at different granulometries and confined in a narrow gap between the glass plates. The system is then placed onto a water reservoir, and the liquid penetrates the medium due to capillary forces. We measure the Hurst exponent of the liquid/air interface with help of image processing, and follow the temporal evolution of the profiles. We observe that the Hurst exponent can be related with the granulometry, but the range of values are odd to the predicted values from models or theory.

[EN] The present invention relates to a new method for the purification, concentration, separation and determination of the isoforms of alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) in human blood serum samples using capillary electrophoresis. The new method is based on the immunocapture and preconcentration of the sample within the separation capillary by using an immunoadsorbent phase magnetically immobilized within the electrophoresis capillary and the subsequent desorption and separation of the glycopr...

The flow of inviscid bubbles and viscous drops in capillary tubes has been simulated by a Galerkin finite element method with surface tension included at the bubble/liquid interface. The results show good agreement with published experimental results. At low capillary numbers the front and the re...... and the snap-off time increases with increasing capillary number. Snap-off without a sudden decrease of the flow rate does not seem to occur in constrictions of circular cross section....

Preconcentration of catecholamines by the modified monolithic silica in the capillary was investigated in this study. In order to achieve a microchip-based method for determining catecholamines in the saliva, the monolithic silica was fabricated in the capillary and the monolithic silica was chemically modified by on-column reaction with phenylboronate. Different modified methods were compared. The concentration conditions were optimized. This study indicates the applicability of the modified monolithic silica capillary when it was used to concentrate catecholamines.

In many practical video surveillance applications, the faces acquired by outdoor cameras are of low resolution and are affected by uncontrolled illumination. Although significant efforts have been made to facilitate face tracking or illumination normalization in unconstrained videos, the approaches developed may not be effective in video surveillance applications. This is because: 1) a low-resolution face contains limited information, and 2) major changes in illumination on a small region of the face make the tracking ineffective. To overcome this problem, this paper proposes to perform tracking in an illumination-insensitive feature space, called the gradient logarithm field (GLF) feature space. The GLF feature mainly depends on the intrinsic characteristics of a face and is only marginally affected by the lighting source. In addition, the GLF feature is a global feature and does not depend on a specific face model, and thus is effective in tracking low-resolution faces. Experimental results show that the proposed GLF-based tracker works well under significant illumination changes and outperforms many state-of-the-art tracking algorithms.

Retinal photography is a standard method for recording retinal diseases for subsequent analysis and diagnosis. However, the currently used white light or red-free retinal imaging does not necessarily provide the best possible visibility of different types of retinal lesions, important when developing diagnostic tools for handheld devices, such as smartphones. Using specifically designed illumination, the visibility and contrast of retinal lesions could be improved. In this study, spectrally optimal illuminations for diabetic retinopathy lesion visualization are implemented using a spectrally tunable light source based on digital micromirror device. The applicability of this method was tested in vivo by taking retinal monochrome images from the eyes of five diabetic volunteers and two non-diabetic control subjects. For comparison to existing methods, we evaluated the contrast of retinal images taken with our method and red-free illumination. The preliminary results show that the use of optimal illuminations improved the contrast of diabetic lesions in retinal images by 30-70%, compared to the traditional red-free illumination imaging.

The idea of internally illuminated photobioreactors has existed since the 1990s and various systems were developed since. Recently, the interest in these systems has been on the rise again, due to the increased production of and research on high-value products and recombinant proteins from microalgae and plant cell cultures. While promising results in lab-scale have been achieved, the potential of photoautotrophic or mixotrophic production of these compounds is limited due to the lack of scalable photobioreactors, which could be overcome by internally illuminated systems. In this article, we review different internally illuminated photobioreactors from the last two decades and classify them into two major groups. The photobioreactors are compared based on the ratio of illuminated surface-to-culture volume and the occupied volume by internal light-emitting elements, and possible obstacles, challenges and future trends are discussed. Looking forward, new technologies and smaller light sources have improved the potential of internally illuminated photobioreactors with internal light sources and will enable these technologies to compete with systems with internal light guides, but only a few of these systems have currently achieved a relevant scale.

This paper presents the results of illumination analyses for the lunar south and north pole regions obtained using an independently developed analytical tool and two types of digital elevation models (DEM). One DEM was based on radar height data from Earth observations of the lunar surface and the other was a combination of the radar data with a separate dataset generated using Clementine spacecraft stereo imagery. The analysis tool enables the assessment of illumination at most locations in the lunar polar regions for any time and any year. Maps are presented for both lunar poles for the worst case winter period (the critical power system design and planning bottleneck) and for the more favorable best case summer period. Average illumination maps are presented to help understand general topographic trends over the regions. Energy storage duration maps are presented to assist in power system design. Average illumination fraction, energy storage duration, solar/horizon terrain elevation profiles and illumination fraction profiles are presented for favorable lunar north and south pole sites which have the potential for manned or unmanned spacecraft operations. The format of the data is oriented for use by power system designers to develop mass optimized solar and energy storage systems.

Polydopamine (PDA) generally demonstrates as an efficient free-radical scavenger. However, its free-radical chemistry under illumination is unclear, which becomes important in view of growing studies of polydopamine applications in photoprotector and photothermal therapy. In this study, for the first time, we reported an experimental investigation of the generation of hydroxyl free radicals from ultraviolet (UV)-illuminated polydopamine in an aqueous environment. By using terephthalic acid as fluorescent probe, we measured hydroxyl radicals generated from UV-illuminated polydopamine with different shapes and sizes. The morphology of PDA shows significant influence on its productions of hydroxyl free radicals. Through characterizations of UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectrometry, mass spectrometry, and thermogravimetric analysis, we demonstrated the change of PDA nanomaterials brought by UV-light illumination in composition and thermal stability. We proposed a tentative mechanism for interpreting the relationship between morphology and photostability of PDA nanomaterials. These results reveal underlying complexity of polydopamine chemistry under light illumination that will deepen our understanding and benefit its further application.

Full Text Available Problem statement: License plate detection and recognition is an image-processing technique used to identify a vehicle by its license plate. This notable technology has got multiple applications in various traffic and security cases. To name but a few, toll roads, border control, security and car tracking are same of its applications. The main stage is the isolation of the license plate, from the digital image of the car obtained by a digital camera under different circumstances such as illumination, slop, distance and angle. Approach: This study presented a novel method of identifying and recognizing license plates based on the morphology and template matching. The algorithm started with reprocessing and signal conditioning. Next license plate is localized using morphological operators. Then a template matching scheme will be used to recognize the digits and characters within the plate. Results: The system was tested on Iranian car plate images and the performance was 97.3% of correct plates identification and localization and 92% of correct recognized characters. The results regarding the complexity of the problem and diversity of the test cases showed the high accuracy and robustness of the proposed method. The method could also be applicable for other applications in the transport information systems, where automatic recognition of registration plates, shields, signs and so on is often necessary. Conclusion: This system was customized for the identification of Iranian license plates. The results showed that this algorithm performs well on different types of vehicles including Iranian car and motorcycle plates as well as diverse circumstances. We believe that this system can be redesigned and tested for multi national car license plates in the future time regarding their own attributes.

The license plate recognition (LPR), as an important measure of traffic controlling and information management, is being paid more and more attention. The location and detection of the inclined license plate is an important problem in the License Plate Recognition Sys-tem. But now most of the proposed location algorithms are based on the condition of the horizontal license. These methods don't work well on inclined license plate. At the same time, the method based on Hough Transform is pro-posed to detect the inclined angle of the license plate, but it has many limitations. In order to solve this problem,we propose a new method to locate the inclined plate region using Mathematical Morphology and Orientation Field. The algorithm consists of preprocessing, inclined an-gel detecting and license plate location modules. Firstly,we adopt the gray extension method to improve the ob-serving quality of the images and study the intrinsic char-acteristic of texture and shape of vehicle license, such as the size, space and height of characters, then we construct the morphologic operator to make a series of morphologicoperations and locate the plate region roughly in the pre-processed image; secondly we make the horizontal and ver-tical projection, get the coordinate of the down left corner and top right corner in the license plate, and detect the inclined angle of the license plate with Orientation Field;lastly, the results of projecting and Orientation Field cal-culating are used to locate the license plate precisely. We practise our method on images under different illumination condition, and the experimental results show that the accu-racy of inclined angel detection and license plate extraction based on Mathematical Morphology and Orientation Field is significant.

The Eagle Books are a series of four books that are brought to life by wise animal characters - Mr. Eagle, Miss Rabbit, and Coyote - who engage Rain That Dances and his young friends in the joy of physical activity, eating healthy foods, and learning from their elders about health and diabetes prevention. Plate Full of Color teaches the value of eating a variety of colorful and healthy foods. Created: 8/4/2008 by National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP). Date Released: 8/5/2008.